Beware the Batman- Red Wings
by Tang Ri Shan
Summary: Barbara Gordon is now a full member of Batman's inner circle, but her problems have only just begun. Not only does she have to deal with a new vigilante that has surfaced in Gotham, she's also fallen head over heals for a new transfer student! Meanwhile, Bruce meets with two people he has history with and starts to suspect that both of them are hiding something, but what?
1. Chapter 1

Tang Ri Shan

 **Red Wings**

 **(Sequel to Conundrum. Written on request from Superfan 44. Enjoy!)**

The millions of stars that studded the night sky seemed to sparkle as they gazed down on the vast expanse of Gotham City. They twinkled over the labyrinth of silent skyscrapers, and deserted streets. In parts of Old Gotham, the stars were the only lights available, but in New Gotham, the streetlights outshone the stars in terms of illumination.

Had any stars been looking down at a specific intersection of streets, they would have noticed a black sedan race through the pool of light provided by a certain streetlight, and disappearing into the shadows again. The sedan was followed seconds later by a second black automobile that had a bat-themed motif to it. After that car had crossed the pool and disappeared into the shadows, a third vehicle appeared. This one was a motorcycle, which slowed and paused at the edge of the pool of light. Its rider, a tall, fit female, watched through the slightly opaque visor in her helmet as the two cars raced away down the street. She reached up and tapped a small gadget on her wrist.

"Oracle, he's on the move. Heading east on 56th St. Batman's in pursuit. Can you see them?" She spoke aloud, seemingly to no one.

" _Yeah, I see them. Thank god for traffic cameras"_ A young girl's voice chuckled in the woman's ear. " _They're going pretty fast!"_

"Any ideas where our perp is heading?" The woman asked.

" _Don't know exactly where he's going, but he appears to be heading towards the waterfront"_ The girl replied. " _Why is it that bad guys always seem to head for the docks? Is that like some bad guy law?"_ The voice giggled at her joke and Katana chuckled as well.

" _Focus, both of you"_ A deep voice suddenly cut into the conversation. " _Oracle, keep trying to ID him,_ _Katana, circle around to the waterfront via the expressway and cut him off. I'll stay on his trail. We can't let this killer get away"_

" _Copy that"_ The woman heard over her earpiece as she revved her motorcycle, then spun it around, aiming the bike towards a nearby ramp leading up to an overpass. As the woman floored the bike accelerator, she felt a sudden chill creep down her spine, like she was being watched. Glancing around, and seeing no one, she squeezed the throttle and raced away up the ramp.

A few seconds after Katana had left, a headlight suddenly lit up from a shadowy corner and there was a faint squeak as a smaller motorcycle was wheeled out from behind a concrete pillar. Its rider, shorter than Katana by a couple of feet, paused and glanced up at the ramp Katana had taken. Shaking his head, the helmeted figure mounted his cycle and kick-started it. With a roar, the bike surged forward and the figure was off, following the trail Katana had taken.

Unknown to either of them, a third figure had been watching the entire thing from a nearby rooftop. Upon watching the second man roar away, the figure followed his progress from the rooftop until he came to the edge. Watching the figure roar away, he took a deep breath and pressed a button on his belt. Taking a running start, he leapt off the edge of the building and angled his fall towards the road below. Stiffening his arms, he lifted them away from his sides, revealing red-and-black 'feathers' that trailed from the sides of his body and followed his arms. With a _click_ , red 'feathers' extended past the figure's hands and as he spread his arms, his descent gradually slowed until he was going more out than down. Angling his body, the winged figure darted through the air like a bullet in pursuit of the two motorcycles.

Within a few minutes, the figure came across the second motorcycle, which was closing in on Katana. From his vantage point, he could see that the second rider had turned his headlight off and staying directly behind Katana's motorcycle, matching her turn for turn. The figure frowned, why would he do that? Then he noticed the rider take one hand off of the handlebar and reach for something at his belt, a holster. The figure frowned, and then pressed a hidden button on his palm. With a small hiss, he shot forwards like a rocket, angling his wings downward he flew upwards until he was level with the top of a nearby building. Rolling his body, her flipped over and began a steep dive, gathering speed as he rocketed towards the pair of motorcycles below. He winced as he heard a shot go off, followed a few seconds later by an exclamation of pain. The second motorcycle wobbled, as its rider cursed, shaking one of his hands like it had been burned.

Meanwhile Katana had accelerated, rocketing ahead. Before the man could follow, the winged figure was upon him. Sensing his presence, or maybe he had just happened to glance into his rear-view mirror, the man glanced behind him as the figure bore down on him. Seeing the man's hand go for something in his pocket, the figure lashed out with his feet. There was a crack as the left foot made contact and the rider screamed in pain, now waving his left hand. His motorcycle began to wobble, then suddenly began to fishtail. Brakes squealing, the motorcycle dropped out of its lane and skidded towards the guard rail for the overpass. The man gave a muffled cry and jumped, abandoning his vehicle, which crashed into the guardrail and exploded into a small inferno. The seat and the rear tire, however, flipped over the guardrail and fell over the side, smashing against the hard pavement two stories below.

The figure rolled over the hard concrete before coming to rest face down. He began to struggle shakily to his feet, but froze when something dropped in front of him with a thud. Glancing up, he saw the winged figure rise up in front of him, wings outstretched. The glow from the streetlights and the burning motorcycle lit up the figure's black-and-red outfit and the red 'feathers' of the figure's wings. The only thing that wasn't black was the figure's face, except for his short black hair, and the black domino mask that covered his eyes and nose.

The rider muttered something illegible and the figure cocked his head.

"Sorry, I didn't quite get that" He spoke in a youthful, but serious-sounding voice.

The rider scrambled to his feet, rising two feet taller than his assailant, and drew a switchblade from a pocket "You one of Batman's punks?" He snarled flipping the knife so the blade gleamed in the light.

The figure frowned and spread his arms to display his wings. "Do I _look_ like a bat to you?" He asked. The man started to respond, but the figure held out a hand. "On second thought, I don't care what you think" He smiled, then lunged forward, spreading his wings, drawing the front of his body back, causing his legs to flip up and he kicked out. His foot made contact with the rider's helmet and it cracked, throwing the rider backwards. He landed with a thud and didn't move. The knife went flying and skidded along the asphalt, coming to rest a short distance away.

The figure landed lightly and surveyed his handiwork with a smile before the sound of police sirens reached his ears. "Guess that's my cue." He glanced around, before running to the edge of the overpass and leaping over the guardrail. Spreading his arms, he allowed his wings to catch the air and soared away over the streetlights of the road below just as a police car appeared on the overpass. It skidded to a stop next to the wreckage.

Two officers jumped out, one rushed over to the unconscious man, the other over to the wrecked motorcycle.

"Well, here's what caused that explosion we were called in about" The man by the bike stated, staring down at the smoldering ruins.

"Gee, ya think?" The second officer rolled his eyes before reaching down to feel the man's neck. "I've got a pulse. He's alive." There was relief in his voice.

"Any ideas what happened?" The first officer replied, reaching for his cell phone to call an ambulance.

"You got me. The caller said he heard an explosion, but doesn't look like anyone saw what had happened." The second officer shrugged.

But someone _had_ seen what had happened. Two miles away, a redheaded teenage girl's jaw dropped as she stared at the images replaying on her computer screen, of the winged figure descending on the motorcycle. Freezing the frame, she picked up her cell phone lying beside her on the desk and typed a code on the screen before holding it to her ear.

A few rings later, there was a click " _Batman_ _"_ A deep voice answered.

"Remember that winged figure you spotted a few nights ago? Well, he's shown up again" Oracle reported grimly.

 _"Where?"_

"He got the drop on someone who tried to ambush Katana, I-I saw the whole thing" Oracle paused.

 _"What's wrong?"_ The voice asked.

"There's something...something about this guy, something I don't like." Oracle confessed, though for some reason her cheeks suddenly felt hot.

" _You and me both. Have you located the killer?"_ The voice growled and Oracle blinked, as if released from a trance.

"Uh...no, I'm on it" Her fingers were flashing across the keyboard as she spoke, but as she worked, she couldn't get the image of the winged figure out of ehr head.

Who was he?

* * *

 **I gotta admit, I was not expecting to make a sequel with my Beware the Batman story, but when Superfan wrote me with this offer, I just couldn't say no!**

 **Anyway, here's the first chapter. Not sure how often I'll be updating, but I always finish a story I start, so you can expect more updates soon!**

 **Until then, stay tuned!**


	2. Chapter 2

Tang Ri Shan

 **Red Wings**

 **(Sequel to Conundrum. Written on request from Superfan 44. Enjoy!)**

Barbara sighed and rubbed her eyes, as she struggled to clear the mental fog that had settled on her mind. After watching that 'reckless kid', as Batman had called him, Barbara had spent almost the whole night searching for their intended target, stopping only when Batman finally ordered her to go to sleep. Even then, she was so frustrated that her mind refused to shut down, she tossed and turned all night, before finally falling asleep at around 4 in the morning, only to be woken an hour later by her father moving around.

Her brain, which had been hard-wired and alert last night, was now sluggish and slow. The only reason she hadn't fallen asleep already was her recent training. Even since joining Batman's inner circle a year ago, Barbara had undergone almost nightly training with the rest of the Outsiders in many different fields, from unarmed combat to detective work. Usually she was trained by Katana or Alfred, but there was the occasional night when Batman himself, in his guise as Mr. Wayne, had taken some time to teach her personally, and she always looked forward to these lessons, like that evening the two of them, along with Katana, had disguised themselves as a family of three and went to a fancy restaurant. Mr. Wayne had asked Barbara to point out any suspicious activity that she could see from her chair, she hadn't seen any, and was stunned when Mr. Wayne pointed out several happening right in front of her, including an embezzling waiter, a cheating husband, a pickpocket, and a chef who was acting in a way that seemed most unsanitary. After seeing the chef, Barbara found the following meal difficult to sit through, even though the food was good, mainly because she wasn't sure who had prepared it.

Barbara shook her head to snap herself out of her dream-like trance, and found herself looking into the eyes with her mathematics teacher, who was frowning in her direction. Barbara quickly smiled and sat up, her eyes scanning the board to get some sense of what the teacher had been saying for the past half hour. "Well, Miss Gordon?" Her teacher's frown deepened. "Can you answer the problem, or were you more concerned with sleeping?"

"Uh...well..." Barbara shifted uneasily in her seat as her mind raced to think of an answer, or a way out of getting in trouble. That salvation came with a sudden knock at the door. Still frowning at Barbara, the teacher strode over to the door, opened it, then stepped into the doorway. Barbara could see he was having a quiet conversation with...someone, but she couldn't tell who it was. A few minutes later, the teacher stepped back into the room, followed by a short, thick-sett man Barbara recognized as the school principle, who had his arm around a teenage boy she had never seen before. He was about Barbara's age and had a head of messy black hair.

"Attention everyone" The principle announced, and everyone instantly stopped talking. Barbara saw the teacher frown and fought the urge to smile. It would take _him_ three or four tries to get the class to calm down. "I would like to introduce a new student joining your class today. This is Richard Grayson" The man placed a porky hand on the boy's shoulder, causing him to raise his head. Barbara saw dark eyes peer out at everyone from under his hair.

"Richard?" A boy at the front of the class piped up. "You mean as in D..."

"Yes, I do!" The principle snapped suddenly as Richard scowled. "But you will not utter that word while in this building!" The boy nodded vigorously and the man raised his eyes to the class. "That goes for all of you, understood?"

"Yes sir" The class replied in unison and the principle smiled before turning to the teacher.

"I trust you can handle things from here" He nodded before turning and leaving the room, leaving Richard standing in front of the blackboard, squirming slightly under everyone's gaze.

"Okay Richard, let's see where we can put you. Hmmm..." The teacher scanned the room. "Ah, there's a seat next to Barbara Gordon in second back row" Barbara stiffened as the teacher turned to look at her. Richard followed his gaze, the slowly made his way through the desks towards her. "And while Richard gets settled, I believe Barbara still owes us a math problem." The teacher gave a small smile as Barbara felt her face begin to sweat as she scanned the board.

"Oops! Darn it!" Richard cursed next to him as a piece of paper fell off his desk and fluttered next to Barbara's feet. "Um...could you please...?"

"Sure" Barbara knelt to pick up the piece of paper and as she did, she saw there was writing on it.

 _The answer is 20!_

Barbara handed the paper back to Richard, locking eyes with him as she did so, and he gave a tiny nod.

"Well Miss Gordon? Can you answer the problem?" The teacher challenged, now looking thoroughly annoyed. Barbara decided to trust Richard and narrowed her eyes, pretending to concentrate on the problem.

"Um...Twenty! The answer is twenty!" She announced.

The teacher blinked in surprise and then smiled. "Correct. Glad to see you're back with us, Miss Gordon." He turned to the rest of the class. "Now, as I was saying, if we simply..."

As the teacher continued to talk, Barbara glanced over at Richard. "Thanks" She whispered.

"No problem" He whispered back, though his eyes never left the blackboard.

Smiling now, Barbara returned her attention to the lesson.

* * *

"Whew! I am _soo_ glad to be out of there!" Barbara exclaimed as she left the classroom twenty minutes later.

"You can say that again" A pretty blonde girl with blue eyes smiled at her as she walked past. "You really got grilled in there!"

"Totally!" Barbara laughed, but her laughter died as an attractive trio of girls walked up to them. The dark-haired leader glared at Barbara like she was a piece of mold and gave a dismissive sniff.

"Dinah, what have we told you about talking to the commissioner's kid?" She turned to the blonde girl, her voice tight. The blonde and red-haired girls flanking her were still glaring at Barbara.

"Um...don't?" The girl answered after shooting a frightened glance at Barbara.

"Exactly. Now come!" The first girl turned and walked away, flipping her hair as she did so, an action her tow colleagues mirrored perfectly.

"Sorry" The blonde girl mumbled as she made to follow the others, leaving Barbara standing alone by the hallway window.

Barbara felt her features darken with a scowl before she forced them pack into the face she wanted. What she really wanted was to run after those girls and knock some common sense into their thick-haired skulls, but she knew she would break character if she did that. One of the first things Batman had taught her was to hide who she really was behind a mask. Bruce Wayne did it all the time, hiding his true feelings behind a smiling face of a stoic playboy. Barbara had to admit the face Bruce had chosen was a good one. It was so obvious, and at the same time, almost impossible for anyone to make the connection between the two. Barely two nights ago, Barbara and her father had stopped by a party Bruce was throwing and she had seen him surrounded by at least five different ladies all vying for his attention. Barbara had found it _very_ hard to keep a straight face.

Barbara had decided to do the same, taking on the face of a cheerful, mild-mannered girl who never seemed to get angry, no matter what was said, and who certainly did _not_ go beating people up. Knowing the lecture that Batman would give her if she broke character just to satisfy her petty desire for payback, Barbara just sighed and turned to leave.

"Out of our way, newbie!" A girl's voice made Barbara turn just in time to see one of the trio shove Richard backwards, causing him to stumble against a locker, which caused his backpack to slip from his shoulders and fall to the floor. When it hit, the backpack burst open, causing a clutter of papers inside to fly in every direction.

Student in the hall laughed and the girls smirked, except for Dinah who frowned helplessly, as Richard tried to recover his flying papers. One landed near Barbara's feet and she reached down to grab it. As she did, she noticed that it was a photograph..of _Batman!_ Barbara froze in surprise, then glanced at the photograph and got an even _bigger_ surprise. The photograph was time-stamped two days ago!

"Ahem! Do you mind?" Barbara heard a voice growl and the photograph was snatched from her hands. She looked up to see Richard glaring down at her as he carefully smoothed the photo out and placed it back in his binder.

"Sorry" Richard snorted, signalling that he accepted her apology and turned to leave. Before Barbara could stop herself, she blurted out. "That's a great photo!"

Richard froze and slowly turned back to look at her. His blue eyes seemed to home in on Barbara's brown ones and Barbara suddenly found herself thinking of the moon and stars that always seemed to shine on nights when she trained. At that moment, she felt...at peace. Then Richard blinked and the spell broke as he frowned at her, turned, and stalked away. As Barbara watched him go, she suddenly felt very, very lonely. She'd never felt like this before, except when her mother had passed away, but she saw no reason why she should be feeling this way now. Shaking her head, Barbara got to her feet and turned to go back to her locker. As she did, her phone buzzed. Barbara glanced at it, and felt her heart quicken when she saw the number.

"Y-yeah?" She cursed herself for stammering.

"Barbara, I need you to meet me at Wayne Manor, now" Katana's voice was curt, even through the phone.

"Why? What's happened?" Barbara asked, wide eyed.

Katana paused, then solemnly said "There's been a murder"

* * *

"So, did you take care of it?" A voice cut through the smokey air. The room was dark, the only source of light coming from an overhead lamp. The lamp shone on a wooden table, Two figures, both bathed in shadow, sat at opposite ends of the table.

"Yes, the deed is done" Another voice growled, his tone smokey and unclear.

"Done how, exactly?" The first man asked, a note of skepticism ringing in the air as he spoke.

"Well, they say that Turquoise is supposed to protect one from falling, but it didn't save Miss Clay from an open elevator shaft door" The second man said simply.

The figure grinned, then chuckled, then finally burst out laughing. "Oh, that's hilarious! The irony! Now I see why they call you Deathstone!"

"I did not do it for your amusement" The second figure snarled.

"I know. I know." The first man sighed, then reached down and set a briefcase on the table that separated the two men. He pushed the case over to the second man, who opened it to reveal a small pile of bills.

"This is not what we agreed upon" The second man growled.

"I am aware of that" The first man said calmly, breathing out a thin stream of smoke from a long-tipped cigarette holder. "And I assure you, you will soon have the rest of your little nest egg"

"When?" The second man sighed impatiently.

"After you have completed a few more 'tasks' for me" The first voice assured him, before giving an evil chuckle.

"I am not one of your hired goons!" The man slammed a gloved fist down on the table.

"Well, if you are bothered by this, you can take what you have now and walk away. I will not stop you" The first man's voice sounded calm, but there was a slight hardness behind it that enforced the true meaning of his words.

There was a long pause where both men stared at each other through the black smokey air. It was a wonder they could even see each other at all. Finally, the first man broke the silence. "Who else?" He asked in defeat.

The smugness in the second man's voice was crystal clear. "John Wilcox, he runs a respectable jewelry business which has recently profited. One of his underlings works for me. I want him disposed of." As the man spoke, he passed a folder along the table to the first man. "Oh and one more thing, he's born in July."

"The month of the moonstone" The second man mused, starting to turn away, then paused and turned back. "But how do I know your promise will be kept?"

There was a slight pause before the first man answered. "You don't. But as I said before, you can reap your reward now, or try to claim a bigger prize. The choice, Mr. Deathstone, is yours."

The killer sighed and shook his head. "You're a greedy little bird. You know that, right?" He commented, before turning to leave the table. "I'll be in touch when the deed's done." With that, the man walked away.

The second man stayed where he was. Then he gave a fluttering whistle. There was a cawing sound and a raven flew in to land on the table. It squawked something and the man chuckled. "You have no idea sir" He said aloud as he gently stroked the raven's feathers.

* * *

 **And that's all for chapter 2!**

 **FYI: The Deathstone character was inspired by a Batman comic from the 60s that I read when I was younger and I still remember it clearly.**

 **Anyone think they know who Deathstone's employer is? There are one or two hints in the chapter, if you know where to look!**

 **As always, feel free to R &R (Read and Respond), feedback always helps move things along!**

 **Until next time!**


	3. Chapter 3

Tang Ri Shan

 **Red Wings**

 **(Been a while since I updated this one! But I had some free time on my hands, so why not?**

 **Recall, this is the sequal to Conundrum.)**

Chapter 3

Bruce Wayne fought the urge to yawn as he glanced around the packed room and glanced at his watch. It showed ten minutes to Ten PM. Blinking the sleep out of his eyes, he raised his head and scanned the room once again, his gaze darting from face to face that were moving on the dance floor to the beat of the DJ. Frowning, he reached into a pocket and pulled out his phone, scanning the messages, he found the most recent one, received fifteen minutes ago, which read:

Meet me by the main door in ten minutes. I've waited a long time to see you again.

An old friend.

"Bruce Wayne!" A voice crowed, making Bruce glance up. A stout man with a top hat was walking towards him, framed by a pair of girls dressed in black. "Good to see you again!" The man came into the light and Bruce raised an eyebrow. He was short, the tip of his top hat barely came up to Bruce's chin, and he was, for lack of better word, pot-bellied. He was big-cheeked and his nose jutted straight out from his face like a beak. He squinted up at Bruce through a monocle and he carried an umbrella in one of his white-gloved hands.

Bruce tilted his head in confusion as the figure walked straight up to him and extended a hand. "Um...sorry, but have we met?"

The man frowned. "Oh come now Bruce! I would have thought a high-flying vulture like yourself wouldn't have forgotten an old bird like me" He gave a small smile as if the phrase was some sort of hint.

A light clicked on in Bruce's brain and he suddenly remembered the man. "Cobblepot! I'm sorry, I barely recognized you. How long has it been?" He chortled as he shook the man's hand.

"At least five years, and please call me Oswald" The man's frown melted into a small smile. "And how is the rising star of Gotham's elite? A little bird tells me that you have made quite a name for yourself"

"Oh well you know, business is business" Bruce deflected the question with ease, keeping his smile in place, but his eyes drifted towards the girls standing behind him. They were both dark haired and Asian in appearance, wearing matching black suits and staring at Mr. Wayne the way a mother bear with a cub eyes an approaching adult.

Mr. Cobblepot noticed him looking. "Oh them? Raven and Strix here are the latest acquisitions to my staff. You see, I've recently returned from a tour of the Orient, and snapped them up just before I returned to America. They've already proven to be worth the 'considerable investment' I made to acquire them" He explained, looking smug. "Show your respect, girls" He ordered and the girls bowed stiffly to Bruce in unison.

Bruce nodded in reply before looking back down at Mr. Cobblepot. "So, Oswald, how can I help you? Unless the only reason you sought me out tonight was to introduce me to your hired help" He shot a glance at the girls just in time to see one of them tighten her mouth in anger, but she said nothing and a second later her face was once again blank and calm.

"Ah, to the point as always" Mr. Cobblepot chuckled, sounding like a crow squabbling, before removing his monocle and cleaning it on the cuff of one of his gloves. "I sought you out, as you so eloquently put it, Mr. Wayne, because I have a proposition for you"

Bruce raised an eyebrow, but his face betrayed no other signs of emotion. "What kind of proposition?"

"You may or may not have heard this already, but I have returned to Gotham to finally create the establishment of my dreams." Mr. Cobblepot smiled widely and his eye seemed to twinkle as he screwed his monocle back into place.

Bruce allowed the faintest shadow of a smile to appear on his lips. "You're still obsessing over opening your restaurant?" He asked in a teasing way.

Mr. Cobblepot's smile faded instantly. "Bah! I will have you know this is a desire, not an 'obsession'" He spluttered angrily. "What cheek, Mr. Wayne! I never imagined that you would...!" Mr. Cobblepot paused his ranting when he noticed a teasing smile slowly spreading across Bruce's face and he suddenly chortled with laughter. "Ahh, you jest me, Mr. Wayne!" He cawed happily. "When did you acquire a sense of humor?"

"Maybe he's always had it" Both men froze as a third person spoke up and Bruce stiffened as he felt something stroke down his spine. That voice sounded very familiar.

"Kathy?" Bruce breathed as he slowly turned around to reveal a beautiful red-haired woman wearing a dark velvet evening dress with elbow length black gloves. Her red raid fell about her in waves that covered half of her face. Her free eye sparkled at him and blinked almost seductively.

"The one and only" The woman purred, moving gracefully forward to clasp Bruce's hand. "It's been a long time, Bruce" She gave Bruce a quick peck on the cheek before turning to Mr. Cobblepot. "And dear Ozzie! I thought you were still in Japan!"

"And miss an opportunity to admire your ravishing beauty once again, Kathleen? Impossible!" Mr. Cobblepot replied, kissing Miss Kane's extended hand.

This made the woman giggle, "Oh Ozzie, you shameless flatterer you!" She teased, batting her eyelashes at the short man, causing both men to chuckle. "So, are the rumors true? Are you finally going to open the establishment of your dreams?"

"A dream that will soon take wing" Mr. Cobblepot sighed happily, before frowning. "Regrettably however, I fear that in order to do so, that dream will require a certain...boost"

"And you think that Kathy and I can provide that 'boost' for you?" Bruce reasoned.

"Ah Bruce, your keen eye has shattered my disguise" Mr. Cobblepot moaned, slowly shaking his head. "'Tis true. I lack the monetary funds necessary to bring my dream to life"

"And you believe we will give you the funds you need?" Kathy asked, raising an eyebrow. But Bruce could see a small smile forming on her lips

"Tis was my hope" Mr. Cobblepot admitted, his eye darting from Kathy to Bruce and back again. The two looked at each other, and Kathy winked.

Bruce gave the tiniest of nods and turned back to Mr. Cobblepot. "Well, I can't speak for Kathy, but I certainly am intrigued by this establishment of yours. However, I would like a little more time to consider the benefits"

M. Cobblepot looked disappointed, but he nodded, showing that he understood. "You are a cautious bird, Bruce, and I commend you for your hesitation. I assure you, however, that in this case, you should consider...jumping in" He chuckled as he snapped his fingers. One of the girls strode forward and Bruce just now noticed that she was holding a briefcase. "If you have a moment, I have brought with me the plans for my new establishment, the Iceberg Lounge."

"Iceberg Lounge?" Kathy repeated, shivering dramatically. "Sounds chilly" She commented as one of the girls cleared a table and the other one placed the briefcase upon the table and opened it, pulling out a rolled up piece of paper.

Mr. Cobblepot chuckled. "Despite the frigid name, I assure you my restaurant will be the hottest attraction in all of Gotham." He boasted as the paper was unrolled.

Leaning over the plans, Bruce felt his eyes widen as he took in the detail. "Well, I can certainly see why you would need a 'boost'" He commented.

"So can I count on your support then?" Mr. Cobblepot asked hopefully, his eyes moving from Bruce to Kathy.

"Well, I'll be happy to provide you with a 'small' boost to kick things off" Bruce finally nodded as he pulled a checkbook out of his breast pocket and wrote one out.

"Likewise" Kathy purred, pulling her own checkbook out of her purse. "And if you still run into 'trouble', then give either of us a call."

Mr. Cobblepot beamed as he took the checks from the two socialites "Excellent! I knew I could count on the two of you!" He shook their hands graciously. "Please excuse me, I must go inform the work crew. We break ground tomorrow!"

"Tomorrow? You're moving that fast?" Kathy asked as Mr. Cobblepot turned to leave. The two girls scooped the plans back into the briefcase and locked it.

"What better time to start preparing for the future, than in the present?" He exclaimed over his shoulder as his girls made to follow him. Chuckling to himself, Mr. Cobblepot vanished into the crowd, flanked by his female associates.

Watching him go, Bruce shook his head. "He seems pretty determined, doesn't he?"

"Well, he has been dreaming of owning a fancy restaurant for a long time now, remember?" Kathy answered, then placed a hand on Bruce's shoulder and leaned into him, causing Bruce to glance at her. "I see you got my little text" She purred.

Bruce raised an eyebrow. "That was you?"

"Mm-hm" Kathy nodded slowly, deliberately so that the overhead lighting bathed half of her face in shadow. "It's been a while since we've seen each other, Bruce." She purred, tracing her gloved finger over Bruce's chest, her touch just tickling his skin.

Bruce smiled and gently clasped her hand. "Okay Kathy, enough with the act" He chided gently.

"Act? What act?" Kathy blinked innocently.

Bruce rolled his eyes. "It may have been a while, but I remember how you work. Now, what do want from me?" He asked teasingly.

Kathy sighed and some of the light seemed to dim from the one eye that was visible. "You are such a spoilsport Bruce, you know that?"

"I've been called worse." Bruce chuckled in reply. "But I've also been 'hoodwinked' by a beautiful woman before, and lived to regret it more than once. You can't blame me for being careful."

Kathy giggled and slowly shook her head, allowing her long red hair to fan out behind her head as it moved. "No, I guess not" She glanced down at the floor for a moment, then she glanced up, no longer smiling "The truth is, there is something I want from you too"

"And what might that be?" Bruce asked. But instead of replying, Kathy suddenly leaned forward and kissed Bruce on the lips. For a moment, Bruce just stood there, then he slowly wrapped his arms around the woman and returned the kiss willingly. For a little while, they both just stood there, locked in each other's embrace.

"That, for starters" Kathy moaned when she finally broke away from him. "It's been so long since last time!"

"I seam to recall that you were the one who stopped this practice, not me" Bruce teasingly corrected her, causing Kathy to grin.

"Touche" She purred, stroking Bruce's shoulder with one gloved hand. Bruce gazed down at her happily, then his eyes were drawn to the necklace she was wearing, a necklace that looked familiar.

Bruce's smile faded. "I'm sorry about what happened to Carlton" He said mournfully.

"What?" Kathy looked up, then followed Bruce's gaze down to her necklace, her mouth quivered. "Oh yes, my husband's accident. Thank you, Bruce" She sighed and closed her eyes for a second. When she opened them again, there was a hint of tears building in them. "Actually, that's another reason I wanted to talk to you." Kathy looked down for a second, then back up. "You see..."

"RRROOOOOAAAARRRRRRR!" Kathy was interrupted by a deep-throated roar that boomed from the other end of the room followed by a piercing scream.

* * *

 **And that's it for now! As always, let me know what you think!**

 **Until next time!**


	4. Chapter 4

Tang Ri Shan

 **Red Wings**

 **(This is a sequel to Beware the Batman: Conundrum. I suggest reading that story if you have not done so already** **)**

Chapter 4

"What was _that?"_ Bruce asked glancing around the room. He could hear sounds of screaming and things being smashed, and he could see people running in every direction, but he couldn't detect the source of the problem.

"RRROOAARRRR!" The roar came again and Bruce stiffened. It seemed to be coming from behind him. He glanced down when he heard Kathy gasp and saw the woman staring wide-eyes over his shoulder. "B-B-Bruce!" She squeaked, pointing a shaking finger. Bruce spun around, and felt his jaw drop.

Prowling towards him, amidst the remains of two smashed tables, was the biggest tiger he had ever seen. The cat was at least three feet tall at the shoulder. It's striped pelt seemed to gleam in the light of the ceiling lamps and its mouth was open, revealing glistening white fangs. Its eyes were twin orbs of black, and filled with hatred.

Bruce's mind whirred as he watched the tiger stalk towards them. He could feel Kathy trembling in his arms, but couldn't seem to take his eyes off the big cat. _What would a tiger want here?_

As if reading his mind, the tiger froze, its eyes locked directly onto Bruce, and narrowed its eyes. The tiger let out a growl and then crouched down, its muscles tense, its tail whipping back and forth. Bruce felt himself take a step backwards as he realized what was about to happen. His hand shot towards his pocket, but scarcely had he grabbed his phone when the tiger sprang. Bruce froze, watching helplessly as the large orange-and-black mass hurled towards him, claws outstretched.

Suddenly, a second figure collided with the cat in mid-air, forcing it aside. With a roar of annoyance, the tiger landed on a table, which collapsed under the impact, causing the cat to flounder for a second, enough for the slim black-clothed figure to to get to her feet "Get out of here you two!" She ordered over her shoulder as she drew her swords from its scabbard. "Now!" She swung the blade through the air before pointing it at the tiger, who had regained its footing and was glaring at the swords woman. Katana swung her blade menacingly and the tiger took a step backwards. "That's right. Just stay there!" She ordered.

Meanwhile, Bruce and Kathy had been easing away from the scene. But a sudden creaking beneath their feet made them freeze. Katana glanced back at them, giving the tiger an opening it gladly took advantage of. With a roar, it lunged, knocking Katana over and charging towards Bruce and Kathy. Kathy screamed in horror and Bruce stepped in front of her, to shield her most likely, and glared at the beast as it charged towards them.

Katana leapt to her feet as the tiger leapt at the two figures, but she felt like she was moving through water. Time seemed to slow as she watched the tiger get closer and closer to her employer. Suddenly, she heard a whispered bang over her shoulder and something dark zipped past her ear, trailing something behind it as it flew. Before anyone else could react, the object flew around the tiger's broad shoulders and the line was yanked tight, throwing the tiger off balance and causing it to crash to the floor in front of the stunned pair. Bruce and Kathy glanced up and Katana spun around to see a teenage boy in a red-and-black costume holding the end of a rope that had been attached the the thrown hook and pulling as hard as he could.

As Katana took this in, she heard the tiger roar behind her and the boy was suddenly jerked forward. Straining against the rope, he glanced up at Katana. "A little...help...here...please!" He managed to wheeze as he braced against the floor. Snapping out of her trance, Katana grabbed the rope and joined the boy in pulling the enraged tiger away from Bruce and Kathy.

"Where...did... _you_ come...from?" Katana gasped as she dug her heels into the carpeted floor.

"You talkin' to me, or to Stripey over there?" The boy replied, smiling despite the effort he was exerting.

"To whichever one of you will give me a straight answer!" Katana parred as she watched Bruce and Kathy back towards the nearest exit. Katana tightened her grip on the rope. She knew that tigers were driven by instinct, and the sight of prey fleeing was enough to send one into a feeding frenzy. But to her surprise, even though the Tiger was roaring and straining at the rope it wasn't trying to follow Bruce. In fact, the tiger wasn't even _looking_ at Bruce anymore. It was trying to leap at the ruins of two wrecked tables just behind where Kathy and Bruce had been standing. As Katana glanced at the upended tables she saw what looked like a flicker of movement behind them.

Kanana gritted her teeth, then coiled one of her hands around the rope and gripped as hard as she could. Then, with lightning speed, she released her other hand and slapped her ear with it, hitting the speaker button on her earpiece.

"What are you doing?" The boy yelled as the rope jerked forward without the extra weight against it. The tiger surged forwards two feet, and its claws tore through the carpet inches from the tables.

Katana ignored him. "Oracle, come in. I need you to alert Batman. Get him here _right now_!"

" _Already on it"_ Barbara's voice crackled in her ear.

* * *

 **Outside the Restaurant:**

Bruce and Kathy had just passed through the front doors of the building when Bruce felt his phone vibrate. "Excuse me" He said to Kathy as he pulled his phone out from his pocket. Turning away, he answered the call "Bruce Wayne here"

" _It's me"_ Barbara voice sounded urgent. " _She needs you in there"_

"I see. Tell Alfred I'll be there to help him in a few minutes" Bruce replied, hanging up.

Kathy looked up "Problem?" She purred, slowly blinking her one visible eye up at him

"Alfred's lost his best serving tray" Bruce lied with a smile. Seeing Kathy's eyebrow rise, he quickly added. "It was one of the hand-me-downs his father gave him. He's _very_ attached to it. The last time he lost it, he tore the mansion apart looking for it. I'd better get back there before he wrecks anything valuable"

Kathy just stared at Bruce for a few seconds, then her mouth slowly curved up into a smile. "Very well" She said softly. "I'll let you go, on one condition"

"And what would that be?" Now Bruce's eyebrow rose.

"That when Alfred finds his missing tray, he uses it to serve dinner to the two of us, at your house" Kathy's smile widened and her tone became smug.

Bruce smiled too. "Deal. I'll call you later?"

"I'll be waiting" Kathy blinked prettily at him, then turned and began strolling towards a nearby police car. As Bruce turned to leave, she called after him. "Oh and Bruce, it's considered rude to keep a girl waiting, so don't make me wait _too_ long"

"Wouldn't dream of it" Bruce replied over his shoulder as he broke into a run towards a nearby parking garage. As he did, he pulled out his phone and dialed a number. "Alfred, I need to you prep the bat-mobile with a few items. Listen carefully."

* * *

 **Inside the Restaurant:**

"He's pretty strong" Katana observed as she was dragged forward yet again by the enraged tiger.

" _Pretty strong?_ " The boy scoffed. "This is a fully grown male Bengal Tiger. They can be 10 feet long and weight nearly 500 pounds. Of _course_ he's gonna be strong!"

"You know, your mouth is _not_ helping here at all!" Katana growled, resisting the urge to reach back and seize the boy by the collar.

"Why are we even still holding this rope? All those 'billionaires' are all gone! It's only a matter of time before Stripey turns on us" Katana's eyes narrowed under her mask at the way the boy mentioned billionaires, with disgust. This time, she did glance back, only to see the boy let go of the rope.

"No! Don't let go of the...!" Katana was cut off as she was yanked forward by the now free tiger. With a roar, the beast lashed out, crushing both tables. With a cry of fear, a thin man wearing a brown suit leapt up from where he had been hiding behind the tables and bolted towards the open door, with the tiger hot on his heels.

The boy's jaw dropped. "What the...?"

"Looks like you miscounted" Katana snarled at him before rushing to the endangered man's defense, but paused when she saw that the tiger had taken a big leap and was now sailing through the air towards the unprotected back of the man, paws out to bowl him over, claws extended to rip through his clothing and skin. Katana's mind whirred as she pulled Batarang from her pocket, unsnapped it , and let it fly in a singular motion. The weapon whizzed through the air, clipping the tiger on the ear. As Katana expected, the tiger did not enjoy that and roared angrily, which caused the man to suddenly stop running and drop to the floor, causing the tiger's leap to take the creature right over the man's head and slam into the wall. As the tiger unsteadily got to its feet, the man ran back towards Katana.

"Help me! Please!" He begged as he ran.

Katana ran forward, passing the man in seconds, then stopped, standing between the terrified man and the angry tiger. "Just stay behind me sir, and you'll be okay!"

"Gladly" The man sounded relieved. Katana whirled her sword through the air and braced herself as the tiger turned to face her, growling. Just then, something darted in front of Katana, the boy.

"What are you _doing?"_ Katana gasped as the boy held a tablecloth in both hands.

"Tigers hate a flapping cloth" The boy explained, whipping the cloth back and forth in his hands, making the material rustle. "They _always_ slash at it" He added as he began to move away from them. Sure enough, the tiger's gaze turned away from Katana and it began to follow the boy's movement, growling angrily as it did so. "That's right, big guy. Keep looking at me" He coaxed, flapping the cloth. The tiger roared and spun to face him, but the boy didn't flinch, keeping his eyes locked on the tiger. So much so, that he failed to look where he was going.

"Hey kid, watch out!" Katana warned, but too late as the boy trod on a loose piece of wood that skidded out from under him. Crying out in surprise, he fell to the floor, and the tiger pounced, streaking towards the boy. Katana started forward, but she suddenly heard the door behind her burst open and turned to see Batman fling himself onto the rope that was still trailing from the loop around the tiger's shoulders. Yanking hard, he forced the tiger to stop, its claws just missing from the boy's face.

"Not today boy" Batman growled as, with one hand on the rope, he raised one hand up and tossed a small pellet at the tiger. The pellet exploded under the tiger's feet, releasing a small cloud of gas. The tiger stopped growling and began to curiously sniff the air around it. "Katana, hind paws!" Batman ordered as he gracefully flipped over the tiger and twirled the rope so it wrapped around both of the tiger's fore-paws.

"Right!" Katana saw what he meant and pulled a grapnel from her pocket. Aiming at the tiger's back legs, she fired the line, then pulled it back so the line, instead of going straight, wrapped around the rear legs of the tiger.

"Now!" Batman yelled and both of them ran in different directions and yanked. The two ropes tightened and the tiger's legs were yanked out from under it and it fell heavily to the floor. Capitalizing on this, Batman pulled what looked like a dart out of his belt, lunged forward and stabbed the needle of the dart into the tiger's side. The tiger growled angrily, then as whatever was in the dart began to take effect, it's glare softened and its head fell to the floor with a thunk.

For a moment both crime fighters just stood there, panting. Then Katana turned and strode over to the man the tiger had been chasing. "Are you okay sir?" She asked.

"I am now" The man replied, though his eyes never left the tiger. "Whew! Where did that tiger come from?"

"Unknown" Batman replied as he knelt down to examine the tiger. "There's no collar or ID markings." He pulled a small scanner from his belt and held it over the tiger. "No trace of RFID tags either"

"Well it had to have come from somewhere" Katana exclaimed. "Maybe..."

"Hold on" Batman suddenly stood, causing Katana to freeze, which allowed her to hear a tiny beeping coming from the scanner. As Batman moved towards the two of them, the beeping got louder and louder. When Batman was finally standing right in front of the man, the scanner begin emitting a shrill tone. The man looked down at the scanner screen, then up at Batman. He looked nervous. Batman's eyes narrowed and his hand snapped out like a switchblade, his fingers disappearing into the breast pocket of the man's shirt.

"Hey! What are you...?" The man exclaimed, but he stopped talking when Batman withdrew his hand, his fingers clutching what looked like a small radio transmitter. The man's eyes widened. "How'd _that_ get in there?" He exclaimed in what sounded like genuine surprise.

"You mean it's not yours?" Katana probed

The man shook his head. "Heck no! I don't own _any_ kind of a radio!"

"But that tiger wasn't just after anyone, it was after _you"_ Batman countered, staring at the transmitter in his hands. "I wonder..."

"HEY! There's someone up there!" All three adults jumped to see the costumed boy throw something at one of the upper windows, a grappeling line. The boy took a few steps back, but Batman's hand whipped up and another batarang flew from his hands, slicing the line in two. "Hey!" The boy exclaimed, whirling to face Batman. "What are you doing? We need to go get that guy!"

"What do you mean ' _we'?"_ Katana asked.

"You're not going anywhere" Batman added, stalking forward. "Not until you tell me who you are"

The boy froze for a second, then he smiled and spread his arms so that the 'feathered wings' of his costume were visible. "Call me 'Red Robin'" He crowed, beaming, but his smile faded slightly when he saw that Batman's expression had not changed.

"Red Robin" Katana repeated, a smile playing across her face. "Am I the only one who thinks that sounds kind of...silly?"

Katana sniggered at the thunderstruck expression that appeared on Red Robin's face as the man they had rescued nodded in agreement with the swords woman. "No!" He exclaimed, his face turning red. "It's an awesome name!" He glared at the man, who moved backwards uneasily.

"Doesn't sound awesome to me" Katana replied, a teasing smile now spread across her face. "Just 'Robin' I could understand, but 'Red Robin'? What kind of name is that?"

"A name you won't be using much longer." Batman answered as he stopped in front of the kid and scowled down at him.

"Excuse me?" Red Robin asked, tiling his head back to look Batman in the eye.

"Let me make myself clear. There is no room in Gotham _for_ any kind of a Robin" Batman said, narrowing his eyes as if daring Red Robin to argue.

Red Robin took the bait. "Seriously? But I just helped save that guy!" He pointed towards the man.

"Yes, _and then_ you nearly killed him _and_ yourself" Katana corrected. "If Batman hadn't had arrived when he did, you would be dead!"

"You were lucky tonight kid. But luck only lasts for so long. Do us all a favor, and go home now, before your luck runs out." Batman strode past the boy without another glance. Raising a grapnel gun, he fired it out an open window. "Katana" He added. "Tell Oracle to meet me at the lair". With that, he hopped onto the window ledge.

"Hey! Don't you turn your back on...me!" Red Robin exclaimed, but his argument went unheeded as Batman flew out the window. Katana, hearing the sound of police sirens approaching, walked up Red Robin and placed her hand on his shoulder.

"Don't take it so hard" She soothed. "Look at tit his way. You faced a full grown Bengal Tiger and survived! Not many people can say they'e done that."

"I don't want your sympathy!" Red Robin snapped, rolling out of Katana's grip. "I want to help Batman!"

Katana frowned. "Well Batman clearly doesn't want you" She replied fiercely. "And I think he's right" With that, she stalked past Red Robin to the window, pulling her own grapnel from her belt. "This isn't some kind of game for thrill seekers. Batman and his allies face life-or-death situations on a near nightly basis." She added, firing the hook up at the neighboring skyscraper. She paused, then glanced bay to find Red Robin glaring at her. "You've had your fun, but this isn't supposed to be fun. Quit while you're ahead" With that, Katana jumped out the window. As she fell towards the street below, she tapped a button and the internal winch yanked her up towards the skyscraper roof. As she crested the lip, she glanced back and saw no fewer than five police cars congregate on the street below, along with what looked like an animal control van. As she watched, a winged figure suddenly emerged from the window and fly off in a different direction.

"That boy doesn't know what he's getting himself into." Batman spoke, appearing from out of nowhere at Katana's side, watching Red Robin glide away.

"You think he'll listen?" Katana asked.

"Hopefully, but if not, we'll have to deal with him" With that, Batman turned and sprinted across the rooftop. Sighing, Katana turned and followed him.

* * *

 **And Cut!**

 **It's been a while since I picked this story up, but this is the next story slated for completion, so get excited!**

 **As always, please R &R if you liked this story, have any questions, or are simply in the mood for a spoiler or two (note: that last part may or may not get an answer, but you never know!) **

**And as always, a special thanks to Superfan44 for inspiring this sequel.**

 **Until next time!**


	5. Chapter 5

Tang Ri Shan

 **Red Wings**

 **(This is a sequel to Beware the Batman: Conundrum. I suggest reading that story if you have not done so already** **)**

Chapter 5

"Are you sure that was just a Bengal Tiger?" Barbara exclaimed, staring slack-jawed at the footage from the tiger attack on the batcomputer's screen. "It looks bigger than any I've ever seen!"

"The Bengal Tiger may not be the biggest of the Tiger Species, but it is _still_ a very dangerous animal" Alfred replied, also observing the footage, with grim realism evident in his gaze. "I was stationed in India for the greater part of a year during my time in the service and I came face to face with one such tiger." A smile flickered across Alfred's face as Barbara spun to look at him, wide eyed. "Trust me, the Bengal tiger is no house cat."

"Maybe not" Bruce spoke up from the microscope where where he was examining the transmitter he had plucked from the pocket of the man they had saved "but apparently it can be trained like one"

"What did you find?" Tatsu asked, glancing up from the readout she was going over.

Bruce tapped a few keys and a large picture of the transmitter appeared. "This is a radio transmitter that emits ultrasonic waves on a special frequency level. Humans can't hear it, but animals with keen hearing can, and it makes them act aggressively, causing them to seek and attack the transmitter without a second thought"

"So _that's_ why that tiger was freaking out" Tatsu realized. "And why it went after that man. Who is he anyway?"

"John Wilcox. He's a jewelry trader." Barbara answered almost automatically, having done research on the target. She typed a few keys and a picture of the man appeared. "His company handles the transport and securing of precious stones of all varieties. Recently his company struck an undiscovered cache of diamonds in South Africa."

"What's he like?" Alfred asked.

"John himself is a pretty clean guy." Barbara answered, typing more keys and pulling up records and pictures. "He does everything by the book and doesn't take shortcuts. He believes the success comes through a positive working environment"

"Hmmm, nice guy" Tatsu noted. "Not bad looking either" She added, causing Barbara to snicker.

"Well maybe _he's_ not a bad guy, but his number 2 however..." Barbara tapped a key and John's picture faded, being replaced by a red-haired man with a very wrinkled face. "This guy takes sleazy to a whole new level"

"Not to mention liposuction" Tatsu joked, making Barbara giggle again.

"Settle down you two" Alfred warned them, but his eyes also twinkled with amusement.

"So, you're thinking that the number two orchestrated this tiger attack with the intention of becoming number one?" Tatsu reasoned.

Bruce frowned thoughtfully. "The motive's there, but almost nothing else." He glanced back at the screen. "According to his records, this guy barely passed high school. There's no way he's smart enough to pull off this kind of thing"

"So he had help" Alfred theorized.

"Possibly" Bruce agreed. "The question is, who?"

"And while we're playing 20 questions, what about this 'masked vigilante' you encountered?" Alfred gave Bruce a critical eye as the latter scowled.

"What _about_ him?" Bruce responded, giving Alfred his own critical look. For a few seconds, the two men just stared at each other.

Barbara awkwardly broke the silence. "Well, he calls himself the 'Red Robin', and he wears a costume similar to Batman's, with the exception that he can actually 'fly' with those special wings of his." As she spoke, Barbara pulled up a few images of Red Robin, mostly from traffic cameras and other surveillance devices.

"A somewhat fitting name" Alfred commented, studying the images.

Bruce's scowl deepened. "I know what you're thinking Alfred, and my answer is no" He growled

"And what exactly was I thinking of?" Alfred countered

"We don't need a new member in this group" Bruce said firmly. "Especially one who thinks that this is nothing more than a game" With that, Bruce turned and walked away, then paused, and turned back to Oracle. "Barbara, you and your father are still planning to come to the policeman's gala tomorrow evening, correct?"

"Of course!" Barbara brightened up instantly. "Hello, my dad's the commissioner! Why would we _not_ be there?"

A smile appeared on Bruce's face in response. "Good, just checking" He answered simply, then turned and made his way into the elevator. As the doors closed, Tatsu turned to Alfred.

"As much as I hate saying this, I agree With Wayne." She said. "You didn't see this boy Alfred. He almost got himself killed."

"Taking the same risks that you and Bruce take on a nightly basis" Alfred countered. "Besides, it would make things easier for us to have another member"

"What do you mean?" Tatsu asked, cocking an eyebrow.

"Think about it" Alfred explained his reasoning. "Most of the time it's just you and Bruce out on patrol every night. I know you're capable of watching Bruce's back, but I'd feel better if there was someone watching your back as well, Tatsu"

Tatsu paused for a moment, then gave a warm smile. "That's very touching that you're so concerned Alfred, but you should know better than anyone that Bruce and I can handle ourselves. And besides..." Tatsu;s smile widened. "If something does happen, we have the other Outsiders." She winked at Alfred as she spoke.

Alfred smiled, but gave a weary sigh. "Tatsu, I'm not denying that the Outsiders are a strong team, but I think you and Bruce are overestimating our stength." He patted his chest as he spoke. "My spy days are long behind me, Man Bat and Metamorpho can't exactly walk down a busy street in public, and Barbara..." Alfred turned to study the redheaded girl. "She's a good hacker, but she's not much of a fighter."

"Bruce and I've been training her" Tatsu reminded her.

"But's she's nowhere near up to your level yet." Alfred countered

"It's only been eight months!" Tatsu argued.

"And I know she's made great progress in that time" Alfred agreed, raising his hands defensibly. "But still, I would feel a lot better if we had at least _one_ more person around here"

A sudden click made Alfred and Tatsu glance back towards Barbara, who had just pulled up a picture of Richard Grayson's face and was typing something into a search bar.

"Barbara, what are you doing?" Tatsu asked. Barbara didn't answer right away. She scanned a newspaper clipping that appeared on the screen and suddenly gasped in horror.

"What's wrong?" Tatsu asked, appearing at Barbara's side as the young girl's shoulders sagged with despair.

Barbara didn't answer, she just zoomed in on the article

"Boy Orphaned in Circus Accident" Alfred read the headlines. "It was tragedy at the Grason Traveling Circus last night as thousands of people watched helplessly as John and Mary Grayson, co-owners of the circus and both superb acrobats, fell to their deaths in the middle of their spectacular aerial performance. John and Mary leave behind their 8 year old son Richard, who witnessed the entire event, but was too traumatized to answer any questions regarding..." Alfred's voice broke out and continued reading the article silently. Tatsu stood stock still, her eyes wide as she scanned the article.

Beside her Barbara sniffed. "Poor guy. Watching your own parents die in front of your eyes" She felt herself shiver, though it wasn't cold. Tatsu instinctively placed a hand on Barbara's shoulder. "That's gotta be rough"

"It is" Alfred said solemnly and Barbara's eyes widened as she realized what he meant

"Oh" She breathed. "I didn't mean..."

"I know" Alfred nodded, pressing a few keys, making the image disappear. Turning back to Barbara, he paused, then glanced down at his watch. "Um Barbara, when did you say you needed to be home by?"

"Oh No!" Barbara squeaked in alarm as she glanced at her watch, which read after midnight. "I lost track of time! Oh my dad is going to kill me!"

Tatsu and Alfred exchanged a look as they watched the girl start to panic and both fought the urge to laugh. "Come on Barbara" Tatsu called as she started towards her motorcycle. "I'll give you a lift"

* * *

The next morning, Barbara fought the urge to yawn as she placed her bag inside her locker. "I still can't believe how awesome those grapnels are." She muttered to herself, her mind flashing back to when Katana had used hers to lift the two of them up her Barbara's bedroom window last night. "I _so_ need to get myself one of those" Barbara smiled as she imagined soaring through the air like Batman.

"Hey Richie boy!" A loud voice snapped Barbara out of her trance. Heads turned all across the hallway and a small crowd began forming near the school doors. "What's the matter, circus boy?" The voice called out again. Barbara groaned as she recognized it and closed her locker door and moved towards the growing crowd. Pushing through the assembled bodies, Barbara saw Richard Grayson standing against the wall with an angry look on his face, probably due to the three large jocks that were currently standing in front of him with smug grins on their faces.

"I said, what's wrong?" One of the jocks, a tall muscular boy with dark brown hair said loudly, taking a few steps forward.

"Leave me alone you jerk!" Richard replied, trying to pull away, but he found one of the other jocks blocking his path. The brown-haired kid grabbed Richard's sleeve and yanked him around until they were face to face.

"What did you say to me?" The boy demanded, no longer smiling. Richard growled, his eyes narrowed to hostile slits, but didn't say anything. "Yeah, that's what I thought" The boy replied, whirling on his feet and sending Richard falling heavily to the floor, which made everyone standing around him laugh loudly.

"Good toss Jake!" Someone yelled from the crowd. The boy, smiling again, stepped forward and knelt down until his mouth was next to Richard's ear.

"And here I thought you could actually fly, circus boy!" He taunted. "Maybe your family act should have been the 'Falling Graysons'!" This jab lead to another roar of laughter from the crowd. Barbara watched Richard struggle to get to his feet, and noticed that there were tears coming from his eyes. Unfortunately, Jake noticed too. "Aw look, the little boy's gonna cry! Waaaaa! Waaaa!" The laughter of the crowd swelled up an octave as Jake fake cried. Richard glared up at him with pure venom on his face and for a second, Barbara thought the boy was going to attack. But instead, Richard turned the other direction and, wiping his face, began to shoulder through the crowd. "Yeah that's right circus boy! Run back home to your freakshow!" Jake called after him, which caused another round of laughter.

Barbara had heard enough. Turning her back on the crowd, she quickly followed Richard as he dashed around the corner. He caught up with him just in time to see him pound his closed locker door in frustration. He pounded it again, grunting with the effort, tears running down his face again.

Barbara cleared her throat and Richard visibly stiffened, quickly rubbing his face before turning to face her. "If you're trying to break into that locker, I'd recommend using a hammer, less likely you'll break something else" She joked, trying to lighten the mood.

Richard scowled at her, clearly not amused. "Come to laugh at me like everyone else?" He snapped.

The look on his face, and the tone of his voice was so fierce that Barbara actually took a step back, her smile fading. "Why would I do that?" She asked.

"Because everyone else has" Richard's eyes flashed.

Barbara forced a small smile back on her face as she looked Richard in the eye. "Then its a good thing I'm not everyone else" She countered. As Richard opened his mouth, she quickly added. "And don't pay any attention to what Jake says. He's just jealous. I'll bet he can't even match half the moves you can do"

Richard's frown softened slightly, but he quickly glanced away from Barbara. "What do you want?" He said after a minute.

Barbara blinked, surprised by Richard's directness. "I...I wanted to see how you were"

"Why?" Richard asked another direct question.

"Because I wanted to, that's why!" Barbara suddenly felt annoyed. _It's like he's interrogating me!_ She thought.

"But why are you so eager to find out how I'm feeling?" Richard asked, and this time he turned to look at her, his face full on what seemed to be genuine confusion.

"Because I..." Barbara paused, choosing her words carefully. "I know how it feels to lose a family member. I lost my mom a few years back."

Richard's gaze fell to the floor and his lip quivered. "I'm sorry" He said

"Everyone says that" Barbara added. "But it never helps." She too, stared at the floor.

"No, it doesn't" Richard agreed. For a few minutes neither of them spoke. Barbara finally lifted her gaze from the floor to find Richard gazing at her and to her surprise, she felt her face heat up, almost like she was blushing.

"What? What is it? Is there something on my face?" Barbara raised her hand up to her face, only to accidentally knock off her glasses. "Oh shoot!" She cursed as she watched the blurred image of her glasses fall to the fuzzy-looking floor. She knelt down to retrieve them but froze as another blurry hand appeared in her line of vision, snatching her glasses off the floor.

"Here" Richard said, holding them out. Barbara hesitated, then reached out to take them. As she did, her fingers brushed against Richards' and Barbara felt something shoot through her, like a bolt of electricity, so powerful that she gasped aloud. "Is something wrong?" Richard asked, noticing her change of expression.

"What? Oh no! Nothing's wrong! Why would there be something wrong? Heh heh!" Barbara gave a chuckle, more to reassure herself than Richard. "Thank you" She said, sliding them back into place on her face. As she did, she saw Richard smiling at her and felt her heart begin to beat quickly inside her chest. _What's happening to me?_ She thought to herself. She could still feel the tingle on her fingers from where they had brushed against his.

DRRRIIINNNNGGGGG! Barbara jumped as the bell rang, signaling five minutes until the start of class. Richard turned to go, then paused and turned back. "Oh and Barbara?"

Trying to keep her suddenly shaking hands under control, Barbara forced herself to gaze calmly back at him. "Yes?"

"Your pep talks could use some work" He started and Barbara felt her cheeks flush, even more so when his smile softened. "But thanks for trying"

"Sure...n..no problem" Barbara stammered, smiling in a silly way as Richard turned and headed down the hall.

"I saw that" Barbara gasped and spun around to find a Dinah leaning against a nearby locker looking like the cat who swallowed the canary

"Dinah! S...saw w-what?" Barbara stammered and gave what she hoped was a reassuring grin, but Dinah's smug smile only widened.

"You like him" Dinah accused in a teasing way, and Barbara felt a surge of multiple emotions go off at once, like a barrage of fireworks in her mind. Anger! Fear! Terror! Panic! But her heart seemed to thrum like a bee's wing at those words.

"W-what? N..no I don't!" Barbara exclaimed, taking a step back. But her words felt empty even to her.

Dinah tsked and shook her head. "Deny it all you want girl. But I know what I saw, and what I saw was L-O-V-E!" Dinah laughed, causing Barbara to glance around nervously to see if anyone else was watching.

"Shhhh!" Barbara moved automatically, clapping her hand across Dinah's mouth before she even knew what was happening. Though Dinah was no longer laughing, her eyes danced with mirth.

"Don't like him huh?" Dinah teased after she had pulled herself free from Barbara's grip. "Don't worry. You're secret's safe with me" She winked, flashed her long blonde hair in the hallway lights, then turned and almost skipped down the hallway.

As Barbara watched her go, several thoughts crowded in her mind like a train wreck

 _What did I just do?_

 _Will she tell anyone?_

 _I should have denied it!_

 _What if he hears about this?_

 _What if my dad hears about this?_

But one thought was more powerful than the others. So powerful that it kept a firm hold no matter how hard she tried to shake it loose.

 _I think...I think she's right!_

* * *

 **And Cut!**

 **My apologies for not getting this chapter out sooner, but I've been distracted by...'situations' occurring in my household. Hopefully my next chapter will come out much sooner.**

 **Sooooo...Barbara and Richard. What do you think of that? Where do you think this will lead? And what's up with this 'Deathstone' character? Will he make another appearance? Stay tuned to find out!**

 **Until next time!**


	6. Chapter 6

Tang Ri Shan

 **Red Wings**

 **(This is a sequel to Beware the Batman: Conundrum. I suggest reading that story if you have not done so already** **)**

Chapter 6

"You disappoint me, Deathstone!" The man's voice rang out in the darkness of the sitting room, his displeasure all too clear. "Your little escapade with that tiger failed spectacularly"

"The plan _should_ have worked!" The second man replied, peering into the shadows at the other side of the table both men sat at. "But I had not counted on there being a new member of Batman's team" He admitted a few seconds later

"What on earth made you decide to kill Wilcox with a tiger anyway?" The first man asked.

Deathstone gave a small smile. "You said he was born in July, the month of the moonstone, the sacred stone of India, and the Bengal tiger is _native_ to India."

The second man paused for a moment and shook his head. "Sometimes I think you are _too_ dramatic with your kills" He huffed.

"If you think you can do better, be my guest!" The second man growled and rose from his chair. "I take pride in my work and will not be insulted by a pigeon like you!" With that, the man turned to leave.

"Calm yourself Deathstone" The first man said quickly, making soothing motions with his hands. As Deathstone turned back, the man added. "I suppose you didn't completely fail me. Even though Wilcox still lives, that cowardly fool has fled the country out of concern for his safety. Last I heard he was heading to Southern Africa" The man chuckled before continuing. "Anyway, he is out of the picture so technically you did do your job"

Deathstone smiled again as he resumed his seat. "You really are a glass-half-full person, aren't you?"

"I find that in my line of work, maintaining a positive mind is an excellent way to deal with _disappointment_." He replied, his voice becoming firm on the last word. Before Deathstone could say anything, he added. "Nevertheless, you did not kill Wilcox as we originally agreed upon, so there will be ramifications."

Deathstone's eyes narrowed. "Such as?" He asked ominously.

"I have another target for you" With that, the man snapped his fingers and a raven appeared out of the shadows that dominated the room. Flying at Deathstone, the bird dropped a small folder in front of the man, looped around the room and disappeared into the same shadows it had appeared from.

Snorting at the display, Deathstone opened the folder, and his eyes widened. "A police officer?" He asked, glancing up at the man.

"Indeed. And luckily for you, I know where he can be found" The man pointed to the folder and Deathstone saw what looked like an invitation clipped to the binder.

"The Gotham Police Gala" He read aloud.

"Dress is formal" The first man said simply, leaning back in his chair, disappearing completely into the blackness. "And if I'm not mistaken, his birthstone is the Ruby. And you'd better hurry. The party starts in five hours"

Hearing this, Deathstone's smile widened until it stretched form ear to ear. Without saying anything, he rose to his feet, and walked quickly from the room. As he opened the door, the sound of construction echoed through it. The roar of a power saw and the flash of a welding torch shone though the door before Deathstone closed it.

The raven appeared again, landing on the man's outstretched hand. It shuddered, as if bothered by the loud noise. The man chucked and stroked the bird's glossy feathers. "Soon my pet, soon" He promised. Then with his free hand, he reached out and picked up the receiver of a telephone on the table and dialed a number. "Hello, yes I would like to speak to the head of psychology please." There was a pause. "Yes, please tell Professor Crane that this is an old acquaintance of his." There was another pause. "Yes, I'll hold" The man acknowledged with a smile. "I will _most definitely_ hold"

* * *

Barbara took a deep breath to calm herself as she gazed into her bedroom mirror. She made a face, then reached down and smoothed out a crease in her dark blue dress.

"I hope that this year's policeman's gala will be more interesting than _last_ year's was" She mumbled to herself as she adjusted her glasses, frowning as she remembered the endless array of speeches that had occurred during the previous event, as well as how every officer there had ruffled her hair, even the female ones. Barbara hated when someone did that!

A knock at her door startled Barbara out of her reprieve. "Come in!"

The door opened to reveal her father standing there in full uniform. "You ready?" He asked.

Barbara put on what she hoped was a sunny smile. "Yep!" She chirped

Her father's expression told her he wasn't buying her act. "Look, I know that these events aren't exactly the coolest things to go to, but they're still very important"

Barbara sighed and smiled up at her father. "I know dad. Don't worry, I won't die of boredom"

"Just remember, I know CPR and I'm not afraid to use it" Barbara's widened as her father chuckled at the pun. "Come on. We don't want to be late" With that, he turned and headed downstairs. Shaking her head, Barbara walked back over to her desk and picked up her purse. Checking to make sure it contained her Oracle mask, earpiece, and can of Mace (which her father insisted she carry with her everywhere), Barbara slung it over her shoulder and followed her father

* * *

"Welcome commissioner!"

"Great ta see ya boss!"

"Good evening sir!" Barbara watched as her father acknowledged the calls and cheers from various police officers that had begun the moment they had stepped into the lobby of City Hall. As they strode through the building, Barbara glanced around, her senses on alert. Her training with Batman and the Outsiders had re-evaluated her her mind worked, to the point where she naturally assessed and cataloged her surroundings the minute she walked into a room. Finding nothing out of the ordinary, Barbara allowed herself to relax as she and her father made their way through the crowd.

"Hey dad?" She asked as they neared the front of the room. "Why are all the guys wearing uniform, but all the ladies are wearing dresses?" She asked

Her father shrugged. "I don't know. Are you saying they shouldn't?" Barbara's eyes widened and she gasped aloud. "Kidding! Kidding!" Her father laughed at her reaction.

Barbara groaned and shook her head, but she was smiling as well. Her father may be terrible at telling jokes, but it let her know that he was in a good mood and that made her feel better too.

"Commissioner?" A voice made both of them look up to see Bruce Wayne emerge from the crowd with Tatsu and Alfred flanking him.

"Ah Bruce" Barbara watched her father shake Bruce's hand. "Thanks again for picking up the tab for this event"

Bruce gave a small nod. "Don't mention it. It was the _least_ I could do for Gotham's Finest"

Barbara successfully fought the urge to roll her eyes and she saw Tatsu try unsuccessfully to do the same.

"Oh I don't know, dad" Barbara spoke up, causing everyone to look at her. "I'm sure if Mr. Wayne puts his mind to it, he could come up with _another way_ to help Gotham PD" Barbara saw Bruce, Alfred and Tatsu simultaneously raise an eyebrow and had to bite her tongue to keep from laughing.

"Barbara!" Commissioner Gordon shook his head and sighed before turning to Bruce. "Sorry about that, Bruce."

Bruce shook his head, a small smile on his face. "There's no need to apologize Jim. And I'm assuming that you have a few ideas, Miss Gordon?" He asked, cocking his head. Behind him, Tatsu rolled her eyes again.

Barbara smirked and opened her mouth to answer. But before she could say anything another voice broke into the conversation. "Well well. Look who it is"

Glancing around, Barbara's eyes widened when they found themselves staring at Richard Grayson, who was wearing a small smile on his face. As Barbara stared at him, he adjusted the neck of the tux he was wearing, clearly not used to wearing such clothing. "Richard, wh-what are _you_ d-doing here?" Barbara stammered, instantly cursing herself for losing control, but she couldn't help herself.

Richard didn't answer, but a white gloved hand suddenly appeared on his shoulder and slowly made twisting motions on his arm. The hand belonged to Kathy Kane, who was wearing a sleeveless white dress and had her hair arranged in a way that reminded Barbara of those mysterious ladies she would see on her father's old mob films. "He's with me" Kathy purred, her one visible eye twinkling as she gazed at Barbara.

Barbara raised an eyebrow "Not as a date I hope" She blurted out, then felt her face flush as she realized what she had said. She heard her father gasp and Tatsu snort with suppressed laughter behind her as she saw Richard and Kathy's eyes widen in surprise.

For a moment, no one said anything, which made Barbara's face flush deeper. She felt like running and hiding, but her feet seemed frozen to the floor. Eventually she felt her father's firm hand come down on her shoulder. "Barbara, maybe you should go get some food." He said, in a firm tone that snapped her out of her trance.

"Y-yeah, maybe I...should" Barbara mumbled. "Please excuse me" Dipping her head to everyone, the redhead pivoted on her feet and all but dashed away through the crowd.

"Well...what was _that_ all about?" Bruce spoke up first, watching Barbara disappear from view.

"Isn't it obvious Bruce?" Kathy answered, shooting the man a small smile.

Bruce's smile widened. "Ummm...no not really" He replied, playing along. Beside him, Tatsu snorted and Alfred tsssked softly.

Kathy's smile widened and she turned to Richard, who was gazing up at them with a slightly confused look on his face. "Richard darling. Why don't you go mingle while the rest of us catch up okay? I'm sure there are many things here you'd rather do than listen to a bunch of adults make small talk". A frown flitted across Richard's face and for a moment he looked like he might argue, but Kathy placed a hand on his shoulder. "Go on now" She said in a firmer tone. Richard nodded and melted into the crowd.

"So tell me Jim" Kathy said turning back to the assembled. "What _exactly_ do you plan to do as Commissioner?"

* * *

 _What is wrong with me!?_ Barbara cried out mentally, gazing out the window of an empty conference room down the hall. Raising a fist she pounded the wall in front of her as she felt her eyes water up. _I made myself look like a complete idiot back there!._ She shut her eyes and shook her head angrily to keep tears from spilling out, but she could still see Richard's surprised face, burned onto the back of her eyelids. _He probably thinks I'm a complete nutcase!_ Her mind howled and for some reason her heart seemed to sink at these feelings.

"Barbara?" Barbara jumped with an 'eep!' and spun around to see Richard standing in the doorway.

"R-r-richard!" Barbara stammered, her face flushing again, further when she felt a few stray tears run down her face. She reached up to rub them off, but paused when Richard stepped towards her, holding out something in his hand, a handkerchief.

"Here, use this" He offered. "Miss Kane made me bring it, but It looks like I'm not the one who needs it"

Barbara stared at the handkerchief for a few moments, than reached out and took it. "Th-thank you" She said quietly before turning away to wipe the tears from her face. Fortunately she had kept her makeup to a minimum, so she didn't have to be careful. "Look, I'm...sorry for what I said earlier!" She blurted out.

Richard shook his head "Don't worry about it" He assured her, smiling now. "And no, Miss Kane is not my date" He added, making Barbara flush again. "She's more like...my chaperon. I'm her ward, you see"

"Her...ward?" Barbara repeated, her eyes widening.

Richard sighed and leaned against the wall a two feet away from her. "Yeah. Mr and Mrs Kane were old friends of my parents. They went to every show that we had in Gotham, and became one of the circus's biggest sponsors. After...what happened... to my parents, they offered to take me in."

"That...that was very kind of them" Barbara could feel her voice choke up.

Richard nodded then apparently got tired of leaning against the wall and scooted up onto the windowsill. "I think, that I'm part of the reason Miss Kane hasn't gone mad with grief about her husband's death. I knew they were very close."

"And...how close were you with your parents?" Barbara asked, wincing as she saw pain flash across Richard's face. "Sorry, maybe that's not the best discussion material"

"No it's fine" Richard sighed for a moment, then turned to glance out the window Barbara had been looking out of. "My parent's meant everything to me. They were my world, and without them, I felt lost. I still do, to some extent, even with the Kane's help. I mean, they're great, but they can't replace my parents."

Barbara sighed. "I know the feeling." She confessed, clenching one of her hands tightly, then placing it over her heart. "I lost my mother a few years ago"

"I'm sorry" Richard said automatically.

"Everyone's sorry, but it doesn't change anything" Barbara added, and for a few moments the two stood there in sad silence.

"How did she die?" Richard finally broke the silence.

Barbara bit her lip to stop it from shaking before she answered. "My dad never told me how. After the first few times I asked, he got so upset I didn't ask again. But I learned the truth anyway.

"How?"

Barbara flashed a sly look at him. "I'm the comissh's kid. I know how to eavesdrop on a conversation between two policemen"

The corner of Richard's mouth curled up for a second, then fell back down again. "And?" He pressed, moving slightly closer.

Barbara's gaze returned to the moonlit night outside. "And she died the same way as nearly every police officer on duty goes, she was shot"

Richard's gaze dropped to the floor. "I'm..." He cut himself off before he could say the word 'sorry', knowing that would not help right now.

Barbara took that as an invitation to continue. "Yeah, she was assigned to protect some rich girl and her baby from some gang and the gang stormed the house they were in and tried to shoot them both but my mother got in the way." Barbara could feel tears return to her eyes. "I never got to say goodbye" Her voice cracked and her body began shaking. "And now, every time I watch my father leave for work, I'm afraid that he may not come home again that night. That I may not get to say goodbye to him, either" Barbara's voice finally gave out and she began to sob quietly. In the back of her mind, she wondered why she was telling Richard this, but it felt so good to get this grief off her chest. She had always been able to hide her grief, and her training with Batman had only served to strengthen the mask she wore. Yet, when she was around Richard, that mask seemed to break, but she found that she didn't want it to stop.

Barbara gasped as she felt an arm land on her shoulder and glanced up to see Richard staring at her with understanding in his eyes. "It looks like we have a few things in common, huh?" He asked, his voice low.

"Yeah" Barbara agreed, wiping a few tears from her face with Richard's Handkerchief. "I guess we do" She added in a voice that was barely a whisper. For a moment, the two kids just stood there, staring at each other. Then Richard leaned over, his mouth slightly open. Barbara found herself leaning forward as well and her eyes began to close as her mouth opened slightly almost automatically, her mind suddenly whirred as it caught up with her motions. _Oh my gosh_! Her inner voice exclaimed as she felt her lips pucker. _Is he... Is he really going to...?_

CLUNK!

"Barbara?" Both Barbara and Richard visibly jumped as they heard to door open, followed by Tatsu's voice. Glancing up, they saw the leather-clad bodyguard staring at them from the doorway, her eyes wide. "Oh, am...I interrupting something?" She asked as her lips slowly curled into a smile.

Barbara and Richard, who were inches from each other, burst apart with exclamations of "No!" and "Of course not!" followed by a lot of nervous giggling on Barbara's behalf, though Richard looked slightly embarrassed as well. "We-we were just..." Barbara's voice faltered as she tried to come up with a good excuse.

" _I_ was just complimenting Miss Gordon on how beautiful she looks in her dress tonight." Richard smoothly explained and Barbara fought to keep her mouth from dropping open. Did he really think that, or was he trying to cover up what was really happening?

"Right" Tatsu's smirk made it clear she wasn't buying it. Shaking her head, she moved on. "Anyway, Barbara, your father is looking for you. Mr Wayne is about to make his speech and he would like you to..." Suddenly, Tatsu was cut off when the lamps in the room, along with the overhead light in the hallway went out. "What the...?" Tatsu exclaimed, blindly reaching for the light switch and flipping it a few times. Nothing happened.

"Well, that not good" Richard's voice dryly commented.

Barbara was about to respond when she suddenly became aware of the sound of smashing glass, followed by the sound of screaming coming from down the hall. "And _that_ , is probably worse" She added feeling her heart begin to quicken again, this time out of fear.

* * *

 **And Cut!**

 **Wow! Quite the moment between Richard and Barbara. What do you guys think? Should Tatsu not have interrupted them? (hee hee hee!)**

 **Thanks again to Superfan44 for beta reading this chapter. Stay tuned for the next one! A lot more action is promised!**

 **Until next time!**


	7. Chapter 7

Tang Ri Shan

 **Red Wings**

 **(This is a sequel to Beware the Batman: Conundrum. I suggest reading that story if you have not done so already** **)**

Chapter 7

"What's going on!?" Barbara exclaimed as the screams from down the hall continued, followed by what sounded like pounding on wood.

"I'll find out. You two stay here!" Tatsu ordered, nodding covertly to Barbara, before darting through the doorway, slamming the door behind her in the process.

No sooner had she done so than Richard moved towards the door. "Where are you going?" Barbara asked, grabbing Richard's hand.

"I have to go find Miss Kane." Richard replied without looking back, twisting his hand in Barbara's grasp and pulling it free.

"But Miss Yamashiro said to stay..."

ZZZAPPPPP! "AAARGHHH!" Barbara was cut off as they heard a loud snapping sound before Tatsu cried out in pain, followed by a loud thud. _Oh great!_ Barbara moaned inwardly. _So much for a quiet night!_ Barbara heard Richard suck in an angry breath and then was practically yanked off her feet as Richard again surged towards the door. His hand came free and he bolted forwards, yanking the door open.

"Richard! Wait!" Barbara called, making the boy freeze in the doorway.

Richard took a deep breath, and when he turned around, there was a small smile on his face. "Relax, I'm just gonna go see what the problem is. Just wait here okay?"

"Richard, don't be...!" Barbara tried to argue, but she was talking to an empty doorway. Richard was gone. "Boys!" Barbara exclaimed as she turned back to look for her purse, finding it on the floor near the windowsill. "They never want to listen!" She fussed as she fished through her purse and pulled out her earpiece. Slipping it in her ear, she pressed a button and heard a click. "Katana, can you hear me?" She called, listening to the static buzzing in her ear for a few seconds. "Katana?" She tried again, but there was still no reply. Frowning, she pressed a second button next to the first and heard another click. "Batman come in!" Even though Barbara knew who Batman and Katana were, she still used their code-names when she was communication, more out of habit than anything else. "Batman?" She tried again, but there was still nothing but static.

BANG! Barbara jumped as a boom rang through the building and the volume of the screams seemed to double. "Oh heck with it!" Barbara cursed and pressed a third button. This time Barbara didn't hear a click in her ear, but rather a series of soft beeps.

* * *

 **At the Old Gotham Zoo...**

The zoo, just as abandoned as ever, was almost dead quiet. The only noise came from inside one of the old buildings, where a large colony of bats were roosting.

" _BeepBeepBeepBeepBeepBeepBeep!_ " A beeping noise cut through the silence, causing the bats to stir and screech in protest. Then the colony exploded into the air as a large winged form dropped from the ceiling into a pool of moonlight coming in through a broken window.

Man-Bat rose to his feet and moved over to a lab table, where a small box that looked like a cell phone was ringing. The flashing screen showed the word Oracle.

Man-Bat frowned in confusion, then picked up the pager and tapped the screen twice. The beeping stopped and he held it to his ear. "Oracle?"

" _Man-Bat! Finally!_ " Man-Bat frowned as a shrill voice seeped from the device.

"Oracle, what are you...?"

" _No time to explain!"_ Oracle cut Man-Bat off. " _Something's happening at City Hall. You and Metamorpho need to get here, NOW!_ "

"Why are you telling me this? Where are Batman and Katana?" Man-Bat asked.

There was a pause, and when Oracle's voice came back, she sounded nervous. " _I don't know where they are! I haven't been able to reach them!_ "

Now Man-Bat felt worried. "I'm on my way" He said, before tapping the screen, which dimmed as the call ended. Turning the device over, Man-Bat opened a compartment and pulled out an earpiece and a microphone on a cord. He slipped the cord over his head and clasped the earpiece next to one of his large ears before dashing to the window and leaping through it. Spreading his great leathery wings once he was clear, Man-Bat soared into the night away from the zoo, towards town.

* * *

 **At City Hall...**

Barbara glanced around to make sure she was alone, than took off her glasses and stuck them inside her purse. She then pulled out her Oracle mask and slipped it on, making sure it covered her eyes. At once, her vision cleared, thanks to the prescription lenses in the mask. Opening her purse again, she pulled out a pair of black flats which she exchanged with the heels she was currently wearing and then she opened the door and scanned the deserted hallway, before dashing to a nearby coat closet and darting inside. Switching on the single bulb light, she ran her hands across the array of coats until she found a dark gray coat that fit her. The closet door came equipped with a mirror and Barbara examined her appearance in the dim light. With the coat, flats, and mask, she was almost unrecognizable.

Oracle slipped out of the room, and made her way further down the hall to the ballroom where the police gala was held. As she rounded the corner, she stopped dead, her mouth open in shock. Tatsu was lying face-down in front of the ballroom's double doors, unmoving. "Miss Yamashiro!" Oracle gasped, darting to the fallen woman's side. She shook the woman's shoulder, but there was no response. Heart fluttering, Oracle slowly placed two fingers on the woman's neck. To her relief, she felt the flutter of a pulse. Tatsu was fine, just unconscious.

As Oracle rose to her feet, the yelling coming from the Ballroom, which had been a background noise to her, suddenly seemed three times as loud. But it wasn't the sudden increase in volume that made Oracle pause, it was that she suddenly realized that it wasn't yelling she was hearing, but laughing. Lots and lots of it.

Oracle's first thoughts were confusion. Laughter? But she had definitely heard screams earlier, hadn't she? Or had those screams only been from Katana? Oracle glanced back at the fallen woman, then at the doors, unsure of what to do next. She had an unconscious partner on the floor in front of her, another partner beyond those doors who was for some reason completely unreachable, and two more partners that were on their way here (she hoped) and would be pretty mad at her if this turned out to be a false alarm.

Then, with these thoughts whirling though her mind, Oracle noticed something. The laughter coming from behind the double doors was two things, it was unusually loud, like on par with shrieking, and it wasn't stopping, as in there was no gap in between the chuckles. Frowning, Oracle tried the handles, but they they didn't budge. Oracle pounded on the door. "Can anyone hear me in there?" She yelled at the top of her lungs. For a few minutes there was no response, then Oracle heard a few weak knocks from the other side of the door. She knelt down and yelled through the keyhole. "What's going on in there?"

"HAHAHAHAHA-cant'-HAHAHAHHAHA-stop-HAHAHAHAHAHAHA-laughing-HAHAHAHAHA-help!" Alfred's voice groaned in response, the effort it used to form the words in between laughs made Oracle's blood run cold, even without the loud thump that followed and Oracle's easily conceived vision of the butler falling to the floor on the other side of the door.

"Man-Bat! Metamorpho! Where are you?" Oracle yelled aloud as she pounded on the door again.

"Right here" Man-Bat's reply came not form her earpiece, but from behind her. Oracle spun around to see the hybrid perched on the sill of an open window. "What's happening?"

"There's trouble in there!" Oracle pointed to the doors behind her. "Where's Metamorpho?" She demanded. Man-Bat shrugged his shoulders, making his leathery wings flutter.

The doors leading to the street suddenly burst open and Metamorpho swaggered in, his face set in a trademark scowl. His purple eyes scanned the room and locked onto Oracle and his scowl deepened. "This had better be good" He growled

Oracle frowned back at the lumbering hero before shaking her head. "Trust me, this is urgent. Nearly all of Gotham's Police force is trapped in that room!" Oracle pointed to the double doors and both heroes paused to listen to the roaring laughter issuing from behind them.

"They don't sound too worried" Man-Bat noted and Metamorpho nodded. Oracle groaned angrily.

"Trust me, this isn't normal laughter. We need to get in there!" She assured them.

"What about Batman and Katana?" Metamorpho asked.

"Were you able to reach them?" Man-Bat turned to Oracle.

Oracle shook her head. "I still haven't been able to contact them. I think..." Oracle paused, trying not to look at the unconscious woman on the floor behind her, or to think that Batman was beyond that door, probably dying of laughter. "I think we might be it" Man-Bat and Metamorpho glanced at each other. Though their faces were harder to read than a normal human's, Oracle could see they both looked concerned. She pointed again to the double doors."We need to get in there, but the door's sealed shut!"

"I've got it" Metamorpho stepped forward, his hands beginning to morph into hammers, but suddenly a loud thud came from behind them and the doors leading outside burst open again. As the three heroes whipped around, they saw the Red Robin standing in the doorway, the moonlight shining though tiny gaps in between the 'feathers' on his 'wings'. "Um, who is that?" Metamorpho asked in somewhat disbelief as Red Robin folded his arms to his sides, making his 'wings' disappear.

Red Robin frowned, but before he could answer Oracle cut in. "He's called Red Robin. He's been following Batman and Katana around for the last few nights."

"What is he doing here?" Man-Bat asked Oracle, but Red Robin cut in this time.

"Same as you" He said, his voice ringing with annoyance. "I'm investigating a problem here"

"And just what makes you think there's a problem here?" Metamorpho crossed his arms. Red Robin opened his mouth to answer, but Oracle came between them.

"Save the Q&A for later! Right now we need to get into that room!" She ordered, pointing again to the doors.

"I'm on it!" Red Robin lowered his shoulder and charged at the doors. He hit them hard, but ended up bounding off of them and falling to the floor. He was back on his feet in a millisecond and rammed the doors again, with the same result.

"He's going to hurt himself if he's not careful" Man-Bat pointed out as he watched the boy get back up and ram the door for a third time. Oracle nodded and glanced up at Metamorpho, clearing her throat. When the walking element looked down at her, she motioned for him to intervene. Metamorpho sighed and shook his head, but eventually stepped forward and seized the boy's arm as he was preparing for his sixth attempt.

" _I've_ got this" He growled, shoving the boy backwards into Oracle. As the twosome went down, Oracle's hand seemed to brush Red Robin's back.

"Hey!" Red Robin yelped and leapt to his feet, then turned and glared at Oracle as she got to her feet. He made no effort to help her get up.

"Sorry" Oracle said sheepishly. Red Robin nodded briskly and they both turned just as Metamorpho lowered his shoulder and ram the doors. This time they gave, bursting open with an earthy crack. The heroes ran into the ballroom, and froze in the entrance, stunned by what they were seeing.

Every single person in the ballroom was laughing really hard. Most of them were laughing so hard they couldn't stand up, but were leaning against tables, chairs or the wall, while others were on the floor, either lying on their backs, or rolling around. Though the laughter sounded innocent enough, as Oracle glanced around, she looked into the eyes of several people and saw no sign of humor, only terror.

"What's happened to all of them?" Metamorpho asked the question on everyone's minds.

"One thing is clear, this isn't normal" Oracle answered

"Ya think?" Red Robin quipped, but Oracle ignored him, scanning the room, taking note of every detail of the room, the location of every person, the arrangement of the chairs and tables, the fluttering drapes on the stage. Oracle suddenly froze and her eyes widened beneath her mask. Her father was laying on his back near the center of the stage, his body shaking with laughter.

Ignoring the startled cries of the others, Oracle ran through the crowd and leapt onto the stage. "Commissioner?" She exclaimed, dropping to her knees beside her father, who stared up at the ceiling giggling like a little schoolboy. "Commissioner! What happened?" Oracle asked loudly, shaking the man's shoulder. But her father either couldn't hear her or he couldn't answer. He just continued laughing. As the others rushed on stage to join Oracle, the commissioner's activity suddenly changed, his giggling changed a frantic gasping and his smile faded into a look of terror. His chest heaved, like he was unable to draw breath.

"He's suffocating!" Red Robin exclaimed.

"I can see that!" Oracle's voice betrayed the rising terror she was feeling. "But why? What happened?" She yelled aloud.

As if in response, the masked girl heard noise behind her and turned to see Bruce Wayne lying near the edge of the stage, laughing like everyone else. With a shaking finger, he beckoned Oracle towards him. As the girl complied, he struggled to raise his head and speak. " _hehehehehehehe..._ gas _...hehehehehehe.._.under _...hehehehehehehehe..._ stage" He wheezed in between giggles before falling back down, suddenly struggling to breathe.

Acting quickly, Oracle leapt off the stage to the floor and parted the short curtain that ran around the edge of the stage. She gasped. Just behind the curtain was a row of bright orange cylinders that looked like over-sized scuba diving tanks.

"Everyone, over here!" She called. "I found something" She heard twin thumps as Man-Bat and Metamorpho joined her, followed by a gasp from Man-Bat. "You recognize that?" Oracle glanced at the mutated scientist.

Man-Bat nodded his head, his expression vague. "If I'm not mistaken, these are canisters containing Nitrogen Pretoxide, or N2O, a very powerful form of laughing gas." He explained.

"Laughing gas?" Metamorpho repeated, sounding surprised.

Man-Bat nodded. "As you can see, this gas causes uncontrolled mirth." He gestured to the chaos occurring around the room. "It is sometimes used by hospitals to relax patients before an operation, but only in small quantities. In larger doses...it can be highly toxic. It can even be fatal"

"You're saying these guys will literally die laughing?" Oracle was startled to find Red Robin kneeling beside her. Man-Bat silently nodded, making Oracle's blood run cold. _What a way to go!_

"So how do we stop them laughing?" Metamorpho knelt down closer as he spoke.

Man-Bat opened his mouth to answer, but Red Robin spoke up. "Easy!" He said. "You stop the gas!" With that, he reached for the closest cylinder and grasped the handle.

"No! Don't!" Oracle yelled, but it was too late. Red Robin twisted the handle and there was a loud _hisssssssss_! The Outsiders leapt away as a cloud of grey mist enveloped them. "You idiot!" Oracle screamed, covering her hands with her mouth. "The gas was.. _.hehehehehehe.._.already shut... _hehehehe.._.shut off.. _HAHAHAHAHAHA!_ " Unable to stop the laughter erupting from her throat, Oracle's feet gave way and she fell to her knees as her body began writhing in uncontrolled spasms.

"I'm. _.hahahahaha._..sorry!" Red Robin cried out as he and Man-Bat fell to the ground to her, also laughing. Metamorpho stood above them, seemingly unaffected by the gas, but he just stared down at them helplessly.

"Meta. _..hahahahah._..morpho, help!" Oracle gasped as she sank to the floor, finding it increasingly difficult to draw air into her lungs.

"How?" Metamorpho asked, his purple eyes wide.

"W.. _.hehehe._..water! "Man-Bat chortled. "Only water.. _.heheheheh._..can neg. _..hehehehehe.._.negate the... _hahahahahaha_...gas!" Man-Bat explained as best he could, but he was on his back as well.

Metamorpho nodded. "I can do that" With that, the mutant held out his hands, closed his eyes, and concentrated, when suddenly..."AAAAAARRRRGGHHHHH!" He screamed as bolts of white electricity suddenly arced through his body, making him fall to the ground with a crash.

"I think not" A gravely voice made Oracle glance up. Standing over Metamorpho was a figure wearing all black, including a black cape and a black wide-brimmed hat. A black mask covered his face and one black-gloved hand clutched a telescoping taser whose end was still sparking. The figure looked over the heroes on the ground and snorted disdainfully. "I cannot allow you to interfere" He exclaimed, then pointed the sparking end of the taser towards Red Robin "Especially you, little boy" He growled.

Red Robin didn't respond right away. Instead, his hand grasped something from his belt, a winged device that looked very similar to Batman and Katana's Batarangs. He tries to throw it, but his hand is shaking too much and the weapon falls from his hand and clatters to the floor near Oracle, who glances at it, then back up at the man, who shakes his head. "Foolish boy" He scolds, bringing the sparking end of the taser within inches from Red Robin's face. "You may have stopped my tiger, but you can;t stop me now"

 _Tiger?_ Oracle's oxygen-deprived brain seemed to click at this. _This guy must be talking about the Tiger attack that Batman and Katana stopped. He must have been behind it!_ Oracle glared up at the man, who was oblivious to her as he continued to monitor Red Robin and Metamorpho, his taser at the ready. Around the room, many of his victims had dropped to the floor, some were still laughing, many were now gasping, while others had grown silent. As Oracle glared at the man, her gaze suddenly seemed to focus the pipes above him. Her eyes widened beneath her mask. _The sprinklers!_ she thought to herself. _Man-Bat only said that water was needed to neutralize the gas, he never said what form it needed to be in!_ Oracle slowly lifted her head and glanced around, searching for... _there_! A red fire alarm box was on the wall near the side door leading from the stage, but no one was near it. How would Oracle get to it, especially in her condition? Then, as a fresh spasm made her hands flail out, one of them grasped something, Red Robin's throwing weapon. _If I could just..._ Oracle fought to sit up in order to throw the weapon better, but is distracted by a long gasp. Glancing up, she was shocked to see her father lying spread eagle on the stage, his face turned towards him, blank and motionless. A sudden surge of anger gave Oracle strength and she is able to sit up and bring her arm back. Taking aim at the fire alarm, she throws the weapon like a Frisbee.

"No!" Oracle jumps at the masked man's outburst and glanced up to see him tracking the projectile's flight across the room. She glances back just in time to see the weapon strike home. DRIIIIIINNNNNNNN! The fire alarm shrills and with a _WHOOOSHHHH_ , the sprinklers come on. Within minutes the room is drenched. The laughter immediately began to dissipate to stop and many of the victims who were still standing collapsed on the floor, breathing deeply. "You will pay for this, child!" Oracle whips around to see the man lunge for her, but Man-Bat suddenly came out of nowhere, and tackled the man to the ground.

"You are not getting away" He growled. The man roared in anger and thrashed beneath the mutant, but Man-Bat was stronger and pinned him to the floor.

"Uhhh! What happened?" Oracle's heart leapt as she heard her father stir. Glancing up, she saw the man slowly get to his feet, rubbing his face, and fought the urge to run him over and hug him. Keeping her face as neutral as she could, she climbed onto the stage and made her way over to him just as he looked up.

"Are you alright, commissioner?" She asked, trying to mask the joy in her voice.

"I will be, thanks to you all" Oracle felt her face heat up at her father's praise and hoped it wasn't showing. "What happened?" he asked again.

Oracle turned back to the group. "This man flooded the room with N2O, more commonly known as laughing gas." She pointed to the masked man, who was still struggling to get out from under Man-Bat. As the Commissioner's eyes narrowed, Oracle added. "We also have reason to believe that he was responsible for the tiger attack on Mr. Wilcox earlier this week."

"I see" Commissioner Gordon's voice, though still weak from the gas, was very hard. "Well, he won't be causing any more trouble" Next to him, Bruce Wayne was also getting to his feet and as Oracle glanced at him, he gave a small smile then motioned with his head towards the door. Oracle gave a small nod in response then turned to walk away.

"Outsiders! We've done all we can here!" She called out, causing Man-Bat and Metamorpho to look up. "Batman will want to hear about what happened." She added, trying to hint that they needed to go.

Man-Bat nodded and handed the masked man over to a pair of officers, who handcuffed the man and began to lead the man out of the room. As they did, the doors suddenly opened and Katana stepped into the room. Her masked eyes ran over the recovering officers, the masked man being lead away, and finally the Outsiders standing by the stage. She smiled and began walking towards them.

"Katana, where have you been?" Man-Bat asked as the swordswoman drew level with them. "Didn't you hear Oracle calling you?"

"Batman and I were...otherwise occupied" Katana admitted, smiling at Oracle, who smiled back. "We received Oracle's transmission, but were unable to assist. As it turns out however, our presence was not needed any... way" Katana's smile faded as she spotted Red Robin. "What is _he_ doing here?" She asked aloud.

"Not helping, I'll tell you that" Metamorpho scoffed.

"Hey!" Red Robin exclaimed. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Who was the one who released the big cloud of laughing gas in our faces?" Metamorpho accused and Red Robin flinched.

"It...it was an accident" He tried to say, but Metamorpho cut him off.

" _An accident_?" His eyes widened. "More like a mistake. A big stupid mistake that anyone with _a shred_ of common sense would know not to do!"

"Oh like _you're_ one to talk, lying on the floor like that." Red Robin countered "I thought you were supposed to be tough and you can't even take a few jolts?"

"Why you..." Metamorpho's hands morphed into clubs and Red Robin pulled a Bo staff from his belt and whipped it around in his hands like a propeller.

 _I'd better do something!_ Oracle thought to herself and stepped between them. "Hey! We are not going to fight here!" She demanded.

"Oracle's right." Katana nodded. "We have enough enemies to fight without including each other." She turned to Red Robin. "Still, if what Metamorpho said was true, you should have known better" She added

What was visible of Red Robin's face was turning red and he growled. "Oh, like _you_ haven't made a mistake in this business!"

Katana shook her head. "Of course I have, but I learn from them. You've got to think before you act if you want to do what we do"

Red Robin opened his mouth to argue further, but suddenly seemed to think better and closed it.

"Like that" Metamorpho crossed his arms. "Now why don't you run along home, little boy?" He teased, smirking at the end at Red Robin's reaction. Without another word the teen whipped around, dashed to a window, and leapt through it, disappearing into the dark night beyond.

"Huh, amateur" Metamorpho snorted. Man-Bat rubbed his chin, but didn't comment.

"He has spirit though" Oracle commented, as she began fishing through her purse.

"Spirit alone doesn't make someone a crime fighter." Katana argued.

"Barbara?" Oracle froze as she heard her father calling out her name. She whipped around to find her father staring out around the room. "Where's my daughter?"

"I-I don't know Jim" Bruce answered before turning to the crowd. "Has anyone seen Barbara Gordon anywhere?" He announced as a crowd began to gather near the stage.

"Richard?" Kathy Kane suddenly exclaimed, rushing onto the stage. "Where's my ward?" She looked frightened, whimpering and glancing around wildly. "WHERE IS HE?" she shrieked loudly, drawing the attention of everyone in the room. The assembled officers began murmuring among themselves and several dashed out of the room. Bruce and Oracle exchanged a glance and subtly nodded to each other. Oracle began backing through the crowd of officers, who were too busy watching Miss Kane freak out to notice her leaving.

Oracle dashed back to the coat closet and shut herself inside. Moving quickly, she slipped off her coat and flats and ripped off her mask. Fishing in her purse, she pulled out her glasses and stuck them back onto her face and stepped into the heels she had previously been wearing. Returning the mask and flats to her purse, and hanging the coat back up in her closet, Barbara paused to briefly check her appearance in the dimly-lit mirror of the closet before easing open the door and peaking out. Several officers were in the hallway, but they all had their back to her. Putting on an expression of confusion, she called out to one of the officers she knew. "Officer Montoya!"

The female officer in question looked around and her eyes lit up when she saw Barbara. "Barbara! Where have you been?" She demanded, running up to her, flanked by two other officers. "Your father is worried sick!"

Barbara pretended to look confused. "Uh... I was with Richard in one of the rooms down the hall. When we saw the lights go out and we heard a 'bang', Richard went to investigate and told me to wait back there. But when he didn't come back I got worried and went looking for him" She quickly and smoothly explained.

"Oh really? And what were you two doing there?" One of the officers asked, a small smile playing on his face, causing his companion to laugh. Barbara felt her own face flush but knew that this would make a good cover story, and it wasn't _entirely_ a lie.

"Uh, come on" Officer Montoya rolled her eyes motioned towards the doors.

"Um...what happened anyway?" Barbara asked as they started walking.

"Oh some nutjob trapped us in the ballroom and filled it with laughing gas." Officer Montoya explained simply.

Barbara made her eyes widen and she gave a dramatic gasp ."Is my dad okay?" She demanded as they walked back into the room.

Officer Montoya smiled. "He's fine" She pointed to the stage where the commissioner was speaking to a group of officers.

"Daddy!" Barbara yelled, dashing towards him. Her father looked up, smiled, and moved through the crowd towards her.

"Oh sweetie." He said kneeling down and giving Barbara a hug. "I was so worried that lunatic had gotten you too"

"RICHARD!" Both children looked up to see Miss Kane practically throw herself at her ward, who had appeared out of nowhere, smothering him with kisses, much to the boy's annoyance. Barbara giggled as she watched Richard squirm. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Katana dart through the same Window Red robin had used. Metamorpho and Man-Bat were already gone.

"Well, this has certainly been an interesting evening, right Jim?" Bruce asked as Jim rose to his feet an ruffled his daughter's hair.

"That's certainly one way of putting it" Barbara glanced up at her father to see a small smile appear on his face, something that hardly ever happened anymore.

* * *

 **And Cut!**

 **My apologies for the delay. Like I've said before, my stories tend to write at their own pace, but inspiration has been seriously lacking these past weeks. Hopefully my writing pace will pick up soon, because things are starting to progress.**

 **For those of you who are interested, there's a hint as to what will happen next chapter explaining what will happen later on in the storyline. Anyone think they can find it?**

 **Until next time!**

 **Until next time!**


	8. Chapter 8

Tang Ri Shan

 **Red Wings**

 **(This is a sequel to Beware the Batman: Conundrum. I suggest reading that story if you have not done so already** **)**

Chapter 8

"And Gotham city is breathing a sigh of relief tonight as the serial killer now known as Deathstone, has been incarcerated at Blackgate Penitentiary. In addition to the two unsuccessful murders he attempted here in Gotham, Deathstone has been convicted of multiple homicides in previous years, enough to earn him several life sentences. Commissioner Jim Gordon, while unavailable for a televised comment, was quoted as saying 'I am greatly relieved that this madman has been captured. Gotham city already has its share of jokers and heretics, we certainly do not need any new ones"

"Oh really?" The man squawked before emitting a cackling laugh. "Well, I'm so sorry to disappoint you, Commissioner." With that, the man picked up a phone and spoke into it. "Hello Johnathan? Yes it's me. Yes, it's good to hear from you as well. Listen, are you still looking for test subjects? How does an entire city sound?" There was a pause, then the man smiled in the darkness of the room. "Oh I knew you would be thrilled" He chuckled, and then exploded in another fit of cawing laughter.

* * *

 **Inside Blackgate Penitentiary...**

"Seventeen counts of homicide." Commissioner Gordon glanced up from the sheet of paper in front of him, his eyes narrowing as he gazed at the shackled man on the other side of the table. The harsh overhead light of the interrogation room throwing shadows on his face, making the killer look even more dangerous than he was. "That's the problem with you artistic criminals, you like to display your work, which only makes it worse for you when you finally get caught"

The man grunted and stared down at the table surface, not even bothering to comment.

"Clayber Jack Greaves! We know who you are and we know what you've done! When are you gonna get some sense and tell us who hired you?" Commissioner Gordon slammed his hands down on the table in what appeared as a display of intimidation.

"I don't know his real name. I don't ask questions." The man replied, not looking up from the table. "In my business, the curious killers don't last very long"

"But you _were_ working for someone?" Gordon pushed. "You didn't choose your targets?"

"Oh I chose many things about my targets Commissioner" Deathstone finally glanced up and smiled. "But no, they weren't exactly _my_ targets"

"Then whose targets were they?" Jim Gordon leaned down until he was almost nose to nose with the man. "Who would have a grudge against those particular people?"

Deathstone snorted and leaned back in his chair, the motion making his hand and leg cuffs rattle. "Well now commissioner, seeing as how _you_ are the detective, maybe you should try to figure it out instead of taking the easy way." He smiled smugly as Gordon's lip curled.

"This is one tough nut" Barbara whispered to the officer next to her as she watched the interrogation from behind the one-way glass.

"I'll say" Officer Montoya added. "Mind you, he's been like that ever since he learned of the length of his sentence. I guess he thinks that nothing he does will change it."

Barbara sighed "Unfortunately, that makes a lot of sense"

"Look buddy, I'm warning you that.." Gordon was suddenly cut of when Deathstone started laughing.

" _You're_ warning _me_?" He chortled. "About what? What are you gonna do?"

"It's not what _he's_ going to do." Deathstone laughter stopped as suddenly as it started and Commissioner Gordon whirled around, wide eyed, as Batman materialized behind him. "It's what _I'm_ going to do to you" He growled.

Barbara's jaw dropped, as did her fathers, but he recovered quickly and spoke the very thing on Barbara's mind. "How did you get in here?"

Batman turned his head to look at Gordon. "You should know better than to question my methods by now, Commissioner" He said simply.

Gordon nodded, as if that made total sense. "I'm assuming you'd like to have a few words with this guy" He gestured to Deathstone, who despite his smile, had paled.

"You assume correctly." Batman answered, beginning to move around the table. "If you and your men would be so kind as to vacate the room"

The two officers in the room glanced at Commissioner Gordon, awaiting orders. Gordon glanced at both of them and then nodded towards the door. "You heard him!" He barked. The two officers nodded and headed towards the door. On the other side of the mirror, Barbara felt a smile creep across her face as she saw the looks on their faces.

"Was he always there?" She heard another officer whisper to officer Montoya, and glanced up to see the female office shrug in response. Barbara bit her lip to keep her smile from showing.

"Oh and commissioner" Barbara glanced back to see Batman staring right at her. "When I asked your men to vacate, that would include Officer Renee Montoya and her three colleagues behind the one-way mirror"

Now Officer Montoya's jaw dropped. "How did he-?" She spluttered, flushing slightly while Barbara had to fight very hard to keep from laughing aloud as she slipped her phone back into her pocket. Standing up to leave with the other officers, she glanced back inside to see Batman bearing down on Deathstone, who suddenly looked _very_ nervous.

* * *

 **In the Batcave...**

Barbara yawned as she typed a series of commands into the Batcomputer. After Batman had taken over the interrogation, Barbara had gotten a lift from Tatsu to the Batcave, where she was now in the process of scanning the city with the computer's tracking programs.

 _"Perhaps your search would go faster if you let me take over"_ The computer suggested in its tinny voice.

"And what fun would that be?" Barbara joked

" _I do not understand the humor behind your statement"_ The computer responded

"I thought Batman upgraded your software to understand humor" Barbara raised an eyebrow.

"He did. But humor is something Batman doesn't know too much of" Tatsu answered, coming to stand at Barbara's shoulder.

" _On the contrary, I believe Batman has a sense of humor, just like any other human. All one needs to do is bring it out"_ The computer argued, causing Barbara and Tatsu to stare at each other in disbelief for a few seconds.

"I stand corrected" Tatsu replied sarcastically, causing both her and Barbara to chuckle. The computer did not reply. "So, what are you doing?" Tatsu asked, leaning closer to the screen

"Tracking the signal of the tracer I slapped on Red Robin during the attack at City Hall" Barbara replied, calling up a satellite view of Gotham City.

"You what?" Tatsu's eyes widened for a second and then she smiled. "You _are_ good" She commented, which made Barbara glance happily up at her. "What have you found?"

"Well, I think I ..." Barbara started to answer, but then stopped when a light flashed on the keyboard and the screen changed to show a picture of the hydraulic doors that sealed the drive entrance to the Batcave. These doors were now sliding open and Barbara saw the batmobile move across the camera screen and disappear. "Batman seems to be in a hurry" She commented.

"It looks that way." Tatsu reached over and pressed a key. "Alfred? Bruce is back. I think you'd better get down here ASAP" She spoke.

" _Copy. I'm on my way down"_ Alfred's voice crackled from a small speaker in the console. Barbara and Tatsu turned as the Batmobile appeared and growled to a halt next to the little bridge separating the control platform from the cliff. The vehicle had scarcely halted when the hatch opened and Batman scrambled out. At the same time, Barbara heard the elevator doors hiss open behind her, signaling Alfred's arrival.

"Well?" Tatsu probed as Batman walked across the bridge towards them, his face revealing nothing except his trademark scowl.

"Deathstone doesn't know the real name of his employer." Batman said simply as he and Alfred joined them.

"You're sure?" Barbara asked. Batman didn't answer, but scowled at her as if disappointed in Oracle doubting him. "Okay, you're sure. Is there anything you did learn?"

"Deathstone told me his employer went by a code name, The Penguin" Bruce answered as he pulled off his cowl.

"The Penguin?" Tatsu repeated, "What kind of name is that?"

"Seems kinda tacky to me" Barbara commented before turning back to the screen, which was now showing a map of a part of Gotham. A large dwelling on the map was highlighted in red.

"What's this?" Alfred asked, glancing up at the screen.

"Barbara was able to plant a tracking device on Red Robin during our last skirmish with Deathstone." Katana explained.

"Clever girl" Alfred commented, making Barbara grin again.

"Thanks. I think I've got him pinned. According to the computer, he hasn't moved from this house for a few hours." Barbara explained as she pulled up a street address, then felt movement beside her and glanced up to see Bruce staring at the image with a dark look on his face. "Okay, what's with you?" Barbara asked. When Bruce turned to look at her, she added "Your face just got even darker than usual. What's up?"

Bruce raised an eyebrow, then turned back to the screen. "I know whose house this is" He said after a minute.

"You do?" Barbara's eyes widened. "Who's is it?"

"It belongs to Kathy Kane"

"Kathy Kane?" Barbara repeated, "But she can't..." Barbara's voice died as her eyes suddenly became as wide as dinner plates and her jaw dropped. "Richard Grayson! _He's_ Red Robin!"

Bruce nodded. "I had suspected as much, but this confirms it"

"It makes total sense!" Barbara continued, pulling images of Richard and Red Robin side by side. "They're both the same body type, almost the same height" Barbara paused, examining both images closely. "They even have the same hairstyle!" She exclaimed

"Hmmm" Tatsu rubbed her chin thoughtfully. "Richard's family were high-wire artists in the circus, right? That would certainly explain Robin's acrobatic skills.

"And being the ward of a wealthy widow like Kathy would certainly give him the budget needed for his suit and weapons." Alfred added.

"I can't believe I didn't see it before!" Barbara slammed a fist down on the console. "I feel like such an idiot!"

"Well, you might have figured it out sooner if you hadn't been fawning over him so much" Tatsu teased, causing Barbara to flush scarlet.

" _Excuse me!?"_ Alfred raised an eyebrow at Barbara's reaction, while Tatsu chuckled, which made Barbara flush deeper.

"Enough" Bruce turned away from the screen to face them. "This boy needs to be stopped before he gets hurt...or worse. Barbara, you know Richard better than any of us. I'm counting on you to make him see reason"

Barbara nodded, now looking nervous. "B-but how exactly am I supposed to...?"

"You could try asking him nicely?" Tatsu jabbed.

Barbara scowled at her. "Oh yeah, because that worked _sooo_ well when _you_ tried it" She shot back.

"We don't mean to put you in a difficult position Barbara" Alfred came in between the two. "But Bruce is right. Right now you're the closest one to Mr. Grayson. Just, show him that there are better things that he could be doing with his time"

Barbara did not look convinced, but she finally nodded. "Okay. I can do that" She said confidently.

* * *

 **The next morning**

Barbara tried to look carefree as she sidled up to Richard's locker, her hand slowly withdrawing the folded piece of paper she had hidden in her pocket. Unfolding it, she glanced once again at the message she had written the previous night.

" _I know who you are, Red Robin._

 _Meet me at the lot on 5th and 4th at 20:00 hrs tonight if you want your secret to STAY a secret_ _"_

She glanced around to make sure no one was looking, and then quickly stuffed the paper into one of the vents at the bottom of the locker, then backtracked a few feet away to a nearby drinking fountain. Just in time! Barbara felt herself freeze as Richard turned the corner and strode up to his locker. Spotting the paper sticking out of the vent, he pulled it out and unfolded it. As his eyes skimmed the paper, they suddenly widened and he glanced around wildly. Barbara ducked her head and pretended to drink from the fountain. She felt cold water gushing over her mouth, but kept it tightly shut.

"Yo Richard, what's wrong man?" She heard a passing boy ask.

"It-it's nothing Ethan" She heard Richard say as she finally took a sip from the water and heard footsteps walk away. She breathed a sigh of relief and straightened up from the fountain. Turning to go, she found herself face-to-face with Richard, who had an angry look on his face.

"R-richard!" Barbara yelped. "Don't do that!"

"How long were you at the fountain?" Richard asked, his eyes narrowing.

"A-a few minutes." Barbara stammered. "Why?"

"Did you see anyone come by my locker?" Richard continued

Barbara shook her head. "No, I don't think so"

"This is serious Barbara!" Richard leaned in, trapping Barbara between him and the fountain behind her. "I need to know. Did you see anyone?"

"Are you...interrogating me?" Barbara frowned. _Like I don't get enough of these from my dad_! She thought to herself

"Just tell me if..."

"Hey! Leave her alone!" Both teens looked up to see Dinah standing nearby with a glare on her face. Before Richard could say anything, Dinah walked up and roughly shoved Richard so hard that he staggered backwards a few paces. "What is your problem anyway?" She demanded, standing in between Richard and Barbara.

Richard glared at the girls, his fist clenched. Barbara fought the urge to wince as she heard paper crackle in one of them. "It's nothing" He finally growled before turning and marching down the hall.

"Okay, what was _that_ all about?" Dinah now turned to Barbara, her eyes narrowed in suspicion.

 _Uh oh!_ Barbara drew on what had learned from Batman's lessons and made her lip tremble. "You're not going to interrogate me too, are you?" Barbara squeaked, making her voice tight. "I get enough of that from my dad already"

Dinah's glare softened and she smiled at Barbara. "No, I'm sorry" Barbara felt hidden tension in her spine release. "It's just, I can't figure you two out, are you two dating or not?" Dinah giggled as a slight flush appeared on Barbara's cheek.

"It's...complicated" Barbara answered as Dinah placed a hand on her shoulder.

"Sweetie, it's _always_ complicated" Dinah laughed aloud as the two girls began to walk down the hallway. As she laughed, Dinah missed the secretive smile playing on Barbara's lips.

* * *

 **And Cut!**

 **The game's afoot! How will the meeting between Richard and Barbara go down? Will Barbara be able to convince Richard to quit his crime-fighting career, or will she fall under his spell? Stay tuned to find out.**

 **Until Next time!**


	9. Chapter 9

Tang Ri Shan

 **Red Wings**

 **(This is a sequel to Beware the Batman: Conundrum. I suggest reading that story if you have not done so already** **)**

Chapter 9

Oracle glanced at her wristwatch, which read 7:58 pm, and then turned to glance towards the main entrance to the construction site where she was waiting for Richard to show up. As she peeked around the pillar she was hiding behind, she felt a stab of guilt in her heart.

 _I don't like doing this_! She thought to herself, _But I've got no choice. He needs to know what he's getting himself_ into. Richard's face suddenly seemed to swim before her eyes, and she felt her lip quiver.

The quiet crunch of feet on gravel snapped Oracle from her reprieve. Glancing up, she saw a figure standing in the main gateway, glancing around.

"Hello?" Richard called from the gateway. Oracle ducked behind the pillar, fighting the urge to answer back. "Is anyone here?" Richard's voice seemed to echo around the place.

Taking a deep breath to steel herself, Oracle crept from her hiding place, dodging from pillar to pillar like a silent ghost. _Thank you Batman for the stealth training!_ She send a silent thanks to Bruce for teaching her to walk quietly in any kind of terrain. She was only five feet away from Richard, but the boy had no idea she was there. As he stepped further into the site, Oracle darted behind the deserted booth that was used by the men who guarded the site from intruders. There was no one in it because the building site had been temporarily closed down, another reason why Barbara had chosen to make the meeting here. _Okay, here goes nothing._ Oracle pushed her unusually strong emotions down, pasted a sneering smile on her face, crept out from behind the booth and stood in the middle of the entrance gate a few feet behind Richard.

"Richard Grayson" Oracle said loudly, making the boy spin around to face her. "Son of John and Mary Grayson, co-owners of the 'Flying Graysons' circus" Seeing Richard open his mouth, she quickly added "I see you got my note"

Richard froze, his mouth still open, then his eyes narrowed. " _You_ wrote this?" He demanded, holding the crumpled note up.

"Yep" Oracle nodded as she took a few steps towards him, smirking. "You know I have to admit, when I learned that you were Red Robin, I could have kicked myself. I mean, it was _so_ obvious I'm almost ashamed I didn't figure it out right away"

"And how _did_ you figure it out?" Richard finally asked, turning to face Oracle as she prowled around him in a circle

"Oh I just slapped a tracer on you when you fell on top of me at City Hall" Oracle smirked

"What?" Richard gasped

"And then I followed the signal back to your little nest. Or should I say, the nest of your guardian, Miss Kathy Kane" Oracle added, laughing as Richard's face flushed.

"That's cheating" Richard growled.

"Duh!" Oracle scolded, as it it was supposed to be obvious. "Heroes don't have to play fair _all_ the time. You should see the precautions that Batman has in place. I used to think he was paranoid, but now, not so much."

Richard's eyes widened. "Does Batman know?"

Oracle considered telling him the truth, then realized that she actually enjoyed having Richard in this somewhat helpless position and shook her head. "No, not _yet"_ She said, placing emphasis on the last word. "Of course, that could change at any moment" She added, letting her hand fall to her coat pocket, making sure Richard's eyes followed the movement "All I'd have to do is..."

"What do you want?" Richard cut her off, his left eyebrow twitching. Oracle could hear the fear in his voice and, surprisingly, it made her feel good.

 _Is this what Batman feels every time he confronts someone?_ She wondered as she stopped her prowling and walked straight up to Richard. Her boldness made him step back into a pillar, but in an instant the two were practically nose to nose. "What I want doesn't matter" She said firmly. "It's what Batman wants, and he wants you so stop what you're doing"

"Then why isn't he telling me this?" Richard countered.

"Because he has better things to do than waste time dealing with vigilante wannabes." Oracle said coldly, and she was rewarded with a flash of anger in Richard's eyes."That's all this is to you, isn't it? Running around in a mask, fighting bad guys and saving the day? Playing hero? You probably think this is all just a big game, don't you?"

"I..."

"Well now you listen up, 'Red Robin'". Oracle made her face hard and her voice firm. "This 'game' has high stakes, higher than you can imagine, and the consequences of losing, even once, are...severe"

"I know that!" Richard snapped back. "I'm not an idiot!"

"Well you're sure acting like one!" Oracle countered. "What kind of person would put their life on the line night after night, and do so deliberately?"

"Batman does!"

"Batman has the technology to protect himself"

"Katana does!"

"Katana has special training"

" _You_ do!"

Oracle's frown deepened. "Actually you're wrong. I'm not usually in the field with him." But as Oracle spoke, her mind flooded back to dangerous times when she had found herself face-to-face with Batman's enemies, like when she had been held hostage by Tobias Whale, or the time when she had been chased by Killer Croc, or when she and her father helped fight against Ra's al Ghul. In her head, her words sounded hollow, but she pushed these feelings to the back of her mind. "In fact, the only times I've helped him, are times when he's _asked_ for my help. I don't charge in at any random moment, unlike _someone else_ I know"

Richard growled, but didn't say anything

"Why are you even doing this?" Oracle pressed. "I mean, I know that you miss your parents, and I'm sorry about their accident, but surely there are..."

"That was no accident." Richard snarled with such force that Oracle stopped talking. "My parents were professionals on the trapeeze, they would have never allowed what happened to occur"

"Then what are you saying?" Oracle asked, even though she already knew what he was getting at, but she wanted him to say it.

"My parents...were murdered" As Richard spoke, tears began to form in his eyes and his voice choked with sudden emotion. "They were murdered right in front of me and I couldn't save them!"

For a moment, Oracle didn't answer. She couldn't, she was so stunned could barely move. Now everything was clear, in a way Richard was a pint-sized version of Bruce. Both had watched their parents die and both had been powerless to stop it from happening. _Maybe it's not Richard I should be trying to convince!_ Oracle wondered. She thought back to the death of her mother, she hadn't seen it happen. It had been over a year before she had learned what had really happened, but still her trauma suddenly seemed small when compared against what Richard and Bruce must have gone through.

"I couldn't save them." Richard continued, his voice trembling now "But I can avenge them. I'll find the guys who did this, and make them pay!" He snarled, and and the venom in his words seemed to click inside Oracle's mind. Richard still kept speaking, but his voice suddenly seemed muffled as Oracle's mind focused on something Bruce had told her, that Justice, not vengeance, was the reason he did what he did, and one thing that Barbara admired about Bruce was how selfless he acted, both as Batman and as Bruce Wayne, how he would almost constantly put the needs of other before his own. As Oracle compared him with Richard, she felt anger begin to grow inside her. Bruce Wayne and Richard Grayson may have shared a similar traumatic experience, but that was the _only_ thing similar about them.

" _What_ did you say?" She asked suddenly, the tone of her voice making Richard pause.

"I said I couldn't save them, but I can avenge them by..." Richard paused as she saw Oracle's frown grow into a full on snarl.

"So _that's_ your game?" Oracle snapped bitterly. "You want revenge for your parents? You want to find the people that did this and kill them?"

Richard's eyes widened. "No! That's not what I said..."

"Save it, Circus Boy!" Oracle cut him off. "I don't want to hear it!"

"But you don't understand..."

"Oh I understand perfectly!" Oracle cut Richard off again, this time with such force that the boy actually took a step back. Oracle backed away as well, shaking her head in disgust. "I understand that you don't care about justice, or about helping others, like Batman and the Outsiders do, all you care about is yourself!"

"That's not..." Richard paused and his face suddenly reddened and his gaze fell to the floor.

 _Its true!_ Oracle thought in horror, though she was careful not to let any of it show on her face. It took all her self control not to scream out at him. But when she spoke next, her tight voice betrayed the tension that her thoughts were under. "Go home Richard, this is not the life for you. Leave that job to us" With that, she turned and began to walk out of the construction site.

"Hey wait!" Oracle's heart sped up when she heard Richard's running footsteps behind her and and her mind suddenly felt like it was on fire. She braced herself, her mind flashing back to her training session with Alfred and Katana just a few days ago. She felt Richard's hand on her shoulder, and she reacted instantly. Grabbing his forearm, she leaned forward and twisted, wrenching Richard's arm and his body, over her back in a judo move. As Richard went sailing over her, she caught a look of pure surprise on his face, which morphed into a grimace of pain as he hit the hard ground. Not giving him a chance to recover, Oracle knelt down until her face was right above Richard's, bending his arm back as she did so, making him cry out in pain.

"This is your last warning Richard" Oracle said in what she hoped sounded like a snarl. In truth, it was all she could do to keep her voice steady. "If I see so much as a red-winged shadow _anywhere_ near Batman or his allies again, I will personally see to it that you are locked away. I know Police Commissioner Gordon personally, and he'd love to clear the streets of a loose cannon like you!"

Despite the pain, Richard's eyes widened at the threat. But Oracle didn't say any more than that, she released Richard and darted away through the open main gate, disappearing into the darkness beyond. She didn't even pause to look back, she was still so angry. _I can't believe I liked that guy!_ She thought angrily and lashed out at a nearby wall, which gave her no reward except a split knuckle and a sharp pain in her hand.

* * *

 **Meanwhile...**

"You wanted to see me?" The tall man wheezed as he stepped into the shadowy room, shutting the door behind him.

For a moment, there was no reply and the man started to think that he had the wrong room, but there was suddenly the _kaww kaww_ ing of a raven and a large chair behind a fancy-looking desk spun around.

"Mr. Crane, how long has it been?" The man in the chair cackled. No sooner had he did so when there was a sudden explosions of kawing and the sound of wings flapping as a cloud of ravens burst from the shadows behind the desk and flew straight towards the man. Any other person would have flinched or even fled at the spectacle, but the thin man simply smiled as he felt the raven's wings brush his face and body.

"A good attempt Mr. Cobblepot, but you know full well that I do not scare easily" He said calmly as the birds flew past him out of a window into the night sky.

There was another pause followed by a chuckle and a scraping noise as the man lifted himself out of the chair and walked around the desk towards him. "Ah well" Oswald Cobblepot sighed as he appeared in the shaft of moonlight shining in through the window. "It was worth a try" Mr. Crane was about to add something else when he suddenly felt the cold tip of an umbrella resting just below his Adams Apple. "And it's Penguin to you" The man holding the umbrella said firmly.

"Yes, of course" Mr. Crane nodded, and Penguin lowered his umbrella. "Now, what can I do for you?"

"I have need of your talents." Penguin replied, returning to his desk and picking up a photograph. Turning back, he handed it to Mr. Crane, who glanced down at it.

"Pretty" He commented, then glanced up at Penguin. "Who is she?"

"Her name is Dinah. Dinah Lance" Penguin said simply. "I want you to teach her about fear"

Mr. Crane's grin widened until it split his face. "Where can I find her?"

"You won't have to" Penguin smiled as one of his ravens returned and rested on his shoulder. "An associate of mine is bringing her to us as we speak. I've already set aside a room in the basement for your use."

"You work quickly" Mr. Crane commented as Penguin raised a remote and pressed a button. A screen behind his desk flickered on, showing in image of what looked like a cross between a laboratory and a torture chamber. In the center of that, were five cots and lying in each cot was a teenage boy or girl, restrained by thick straps around their neck, arms, and legs.

As Mr. Crane's eye widened, the penguin chuckled. "You have no idea Mr. Crane."

* * *

 **And Cut!**

 **So, for those of you who haven't guessed yet, the main villain of this story is Oswald Cobblepot, AKA the Penguin, and we are also introduced to a new villain. Anyone recognize him?**

 **It appears that Barbara's crush on Richard has been...crushed (for lack of better word). Will this be the end of their relationship? What will happen to Dinah? And what is the Penguin's Masterplan? To find out, stay tuned!**

 **Until Next time!**


	10. Chapter 10

Tang Ri Shan

 **Red Wings**

 **(This is a sequel to Beware the Batman: Conundrum. I suggest reading that story if you have not done so already** **)**

Chapter 10

When Barbara returned to her house later that night, she was still angry. She entered without calling to her father like she usually did, only to find out that the house was dark and her father's coat was not hanging on the hook by the door, which meant he was out.

"I can't believe that guy!" She moaned as she flung herself onto her couch, rolled over, and stared at the ceiling. "To think I was actually into him! He was so nice at the gala and..."

Barbara's thoughts were interrupted by the ring of her cell phone. Fishing it out of her bag she glanced at the caller ID. It was Tatsu, probably asking for a report on what had happened. Barbara didn't feel like talking to the swordswoman now, but she realized that Batman would want to find out what had happened, so she answered. "Hello?"

" _Barbara_ _, how did it go with Richard?"_

"Great" Barbara replied sarcastically "Excellent! Couldn't have been better!"

There was a pause on the line. _"Okay, what happened?"_

"Nothing bad, it's just...just..." Barbara broke off, struggling to find the right words.

 _"Did he not show up?"_ Tatsu probed.

"Oh he showed up!" Barbara snapped, "And I'm sorry that he did!"

There was another pause. _"I'm afraid I don't follow"_

Barbara sighed, then took a moment to gather her thoughts. "Tatsu, do you remember what happened to Dent? How he became Two-Face?"

 _"Yes"_

"Well, I found out that Richard Grayson is two-faced as well"

 _"How so?"_

"Well, he started out so quiet, so isolated, so guilt-ridden over the death of his family. When I found out he was Red Robin I thought...he'd be more like Bruce"

 _"You thought he'd be a musclebound, guilt ridden loner whose paranoia level is through the roof?"_ Tatsu joked.

Despite her anger, Barbara giggled. "No, I thought that he'd be selfless. Batman does what he does to protect Gotham because he doesn't want anyone to suffer the pain he felt, right? I just thought Richard would be more like that. Instead I find out that he's nothing more than a revenge-driven fighting machine."

" _And Batman isn't?"_ Tatsu's next question made Barbara stop in her tracks. " _It sounds like Bruce and Richard may have more in common than you realize_ "

"Bruce and Richard have **nothing** in common" Barbara declared.

 _"Whatever you say"_ Tatsu answered, but Barbara could tell that the woman was teasing her. _"So, were you able to get through to him?"_ She continued as Barbara started climbing the darkened stairs to the second floor.

"Oh, I made sure he got the message." Barbara grinned as she thought back to the fear she had heard in Richard's voice. "He shouldn't be a problem anymore"

 _"OK, I'll tell Bruce when he returns."_ Tatsu signed off just as Barbara reached her bedroom.

"Sure, Tatsu, you do that" She muttered darkly as she opened the door and stepped into the darkened room. "Meanwhile I'll have to find _some_ way to repair this hole in my heart!" She reached for the light switch, then paused as she felt a cool breeze whisper across the back of her neck. "What?" She gasped, turning to notice for the first time that her bedroom window was partially open. "Who opened the window?"

"I did" Barbara jumped as a voice spoke out from the shadows near her bed. "It was getting kinda stuffy in here." Her bedside lamp clicked on, throwing light on a familiar face.

"R-Richard? What are you doing here?" Barbara stammered, feeling her face heat up.

"Finishing what we started earlier this evening...Oracle" Richard smiled at Barbara, the shadows from the lamp light twisting his face into something a lot more frightening

* * *

 **In Wayne Manor...**

Alfred was standing at the counter making a sandwich, when he heard someone clear her throat behind him and turned to find Tatsu standing there with a concerned look on her face. "Tatsu, what's wrong?" Alfred asked, feeling his guard go up.

Tatsu shifted uncomfortably before answering. "I just wanted to know something. The man who killed Bruce's parents. Was he ever found?"

Alfred frowned, making Tatsu wince. "No, he wasn't." He finally answered, "Though not from lack of effort on Bruce's part. He spent his first year as Batman looking, pursuing every lead he could find. He was even at one point convinced that his parents's deaths were ordered by a syndicate that wore owl masks" Despite the tense topic, Tatsu chuckled and the ghost of a smile flitted across Alfred's face. "Why do you ask?"

Tatsu felt her uneasiness returning as she explained what had happened between Richard and Barbara. "Now I'm worried that maybe Batman's principles aren't what they once were. Remember how 'savage' he acted while you were gone. It was like he became a completely different person." Tatsu shivered. "More like an animal actually. I'm just worried that if he ever _does_ find the man who killed his parents, then maybe he'll..."

"Go beserk again?" Alfred guessed, placing the loaf of bread back in the refrigerator.

"Yeah, pretty much"

For a few moments Alfred just stood there, facing the refrigerator. When he finally turned around, there was concern on his face as well. "I won't lie to you Tatsu, I've often wondered the same thing." He admitted. "If Richard really has gone through the same trauma that Bruce did, I'm not surprised that he feels so angry, and so alone. I watched Bruce go through that, and it was a nightmare for both of us." He paused and looked solemn for a moment, then smiled at Tatsu. "But what Bruce and Richard need to realize is that they're not alone. They still have a family here, family who cares for them."

Tatsu smiled too. "I just hope we can come through for them both" She pondered as she turned to glance out the window.

* * *

 **In Barbara's Bedroom...**

Barbara felt her eyes widen and her limbs stiffen from sudden shock as Richard's greeting echoed in her ears. _He knows!_ Her mind yelled _But how?_

As Richard's smile widened at Barbara's reaction, she felt her anger return and twisted her own face into the meanest glare she could. "How did you get here?"

"How do you think?" Richard motioned to the window. "I'm a circus acrobat, reaching a second story window is a piece of cake"

"No, I mean how did you get _here?_ " Barbara corrected him. "How did you find me?"

Richard's smile widened and he didn't answer. Instead, he simply reached up with his left hand and tapped his right shoulder. As Barbara watched, he did it again.

"What are you...?" Barbara asked, reaching up to brush her own shoulder, but froze when her fingers came in contact with something hard, something that shouldn't have been there. Richard chuckled as Barbara pulled it off her shoulder, and her heart stopped. Laying in her hand as a small black plastic disk which Barbara recognized as a radio tracker.

"Every performer knows Barbara, that if you aren't careful, someone else can steal your tricks..." Richard boasted as Barbara stared at the transmitter. "Now, about what we were discussing earlier..." Richard's voice trailed off as he noticed Barbara's face change from shock to anger and her hands began to shake.

"There's nothing to talk about" She growled, trying to keep her voice steady, clenching her fists so hard he felt the transmitter break.

"I just want you to know, you're wrong about me" Richard began, staking a step towards her.

"Am I?" Barbara felt some of the hurt come into her voice and Richard paused. "You seemed like a nice guy in class, and then...at City Hall..." Barbara's voice became choked and Richard took another step towards her, but stopped when Barbara's hand shot out. "I thought you were like Batman, that you were trying to help other people. But I guess I was wrong! All you care about is revenge"

"No, I _am_ trying to help!" Richard argued. "This is not about revenge. I'm just making sure that what happened to me does not happen to anyone else. Can you understand that?"

For a moment, Barbara felt her anger begin to fade. Richard's argument seemed to make sense. "Sure, but I'm..."

"I just need to know _where_ to find him" Richard finished, his voice pleading. "I was...hoping that you could find out where he's hiding"

"And if I do manage to find him, what will you do then?" Barbara asked, looking Richard square in the eye.

"I'll just rough him up, then leave him for the police" Richard said, holding up his hand scout-style. "I swear" He promised, but his gaze dropped downwards as he spoke and Barbra felt her anger returning.

"You liar!" She snapped. "You're just trying to charm me into doing your dirty work!"

"Barbara I..."

"Admit it!" Barbara demanded, feeling tears come to her eyes. "I was right about you!"

"Barbara No! I..."

"Save it, and Get out!" Barbara pointed to the window. "Get out of my room and stay away from me and from Batman! I MEAN IT!" She shrieked the last words.

"I can't do that Barbara" Richard shook his head. "He's my one key to finding the man who murdered my parents and I refuse to give up until one of you helps me!"

"You will if you want to stay a free man!" Now Barbara was the one making threats. "I can still blow the whistle on you anytime!" She reminded him, trying hard to ignore the guilty pang from her heart.

Richard scowled at her. "Fine, why don't we step into the light together?" He challenged. "I'm sure your father would be just as interested in hearing about _your_ exploits as _mine!"_

Barbara was now so angry she couldn't speak, and could barely think straight. This boy was threatening her in her own bedroom! The nerve! Who did he think he was? Barbara finally opened her mouth to respond, but just then, both teens became aware of a door closing from downstairs. "Barbara?" Commissioner Gordon's voice called up from the living room. "Are you home?"

For a moment, Barbara and Richard just stared at each other. Then a crazy idea suddenly popped into Barbara's head. She knew that right now, Richard probably didn't have any proof to show her father that she was Oracle, but she didn't have any solid proof he was Red Robin either. It was her word against his. Barbara suspected that her words might carry a little more weight than her father, but Richard's accusations would certainly make her father suspicious enough to interrogate her, maybe post a police tail on her, and that would dampen her ability to help Batman. No, Barbara needed to end this now!

Forcing her face into a smile, she slowly picked up a heavy paperweight from her desk and strode forward until she and Richard were nose to nose. "You want to tell my dad what I've been doing? Fine" She said softly, causing Richard's eyebrow to rise. "Let me call him!" With that, Barbara whirled and hurled the paperweight at her bedroom window. The heavy object broke the glass, causing it to shatter.

"What are you...?" Richard started to ask, but was cut off when Barbara whirled, dashed to the door of the room, and locked it. "EEEEEEEEEEEK!" Richard winced as Barbara screamed as loud as she could.

"BARBARA? BARBARA WHAT'S WRONG?" Commisioner Gordon yelled from below as Barbara whirled around again, and practically tackled Richard.

"DADDY COME QUICK! THERE'S SOMEONE IN MY ROOM! HELP!" Barbara screamed as she grabbed both of Richard's wrists and yanked him forward, wrapping his arms around her so it looked like he was holding her.

"HANG ON BARBARA! I'M COMING!" her father bellowed and there was the sound of footsteps pounding on the stairs.

Barbara felt Richard tense up as he realized what she was doing. "You wouldn't dare!" He hissed, terror now apparent on his face.

"Wanna bet?" Barbara replied with a smile as she carefully took her glasses off and stuck then in Richard's jacket pocket faster than he could react.

"You're crazy!" Richard struggled to pull away from Barbara, but the still was still holding Richard's wrists so he couldn't move away from her.

"No, I'm just following Batman's orders." Barbara replied. " _You're_ the one who wanted to make it difficult"

BAM! Both kids jumped as they felt Barbra's bedroom door shudder. The handle turned rapidly as her father tried to open the locked door. "BARBARA! ARE YOU ALRIGHT?" He yelled.

Barbara smirked evily up at Richard, and then began to 'struggle', screaming at the top of her lungs as she did so. "LET GO OF ME YOU CREEP! LET GO! DADDY, HELP!" Barbara tried not to laugh as she felt Richard's efforts to pull away from her double.

"WHOEVER IS IN THERE, IF YOU'VE TOUCHED MY DAUGHTER, THERE WILL BE HELL TO PAY!" Commissioner Gordon's statement was followed by the sound of gunshots, and small holes began to appear in the door surrounding the handle. Barbara finally released Richard's wrists and the two sprang apart. Then, as Richard watched in disbelief, Barbara grabbed the collar of her t-shirt and yanked, creating a large rip, screaming as she did so. She then made a second rip in one leg of her pant legs and ran her fingers through her red hair until it looked disheveled.

"So, what's it gonna be?" She asked calmly as Richard's terrified eyes darted to the door, where the handle had just fallen off. Shaking his head, Richard turned and raced for the window just as Commissioner Gordon burst into the room. Seeing Richard lunge for the window, the man raised his gun and took aim at Richard's back. But as soon as Barbara saw this, a sudden flood of panic flowed through her and without thinking, she screamed and fell to the ground. Hearing this, Commissioner Gordon glanced down at her, allowing Richard to leap out the window. Cursing, Gordon ran to the window and glanced around, but Richard had disappeared.

"Daddy?" Barbara whimpered from the floor. "Is..is he gone?"

"Oh sweetie" Barbara felt her father's strong arms wrap around her. "What happened? Who was that?"

"He...he came out of nowhere." Barbara gasped, acting terrified. "I went up to my room, and there he was. He l...locked the door, then he grabbed me and...oh daddy! It was so scary!" Barbara dissolved into a fit of make-believe sobs into her father's shoulder.

"There there" Barbara felt her father's hug grow tighter. "He's gone now. You're safe. I promise" Locked in her father's embrace, Commissioner Gordon didn't see the smile on Barbara's face.

* * *

 **And Cut!**

 **I know, this chapter doesn't really get us anywhere, but I thought this would be a great opportunity to explore why Batman does what he does. Is it a drive to protect others from feeling the pain he felt? Or is it simply an unending hunt by Bruce to find his parent's killer? What do you think?**

 **So now Barbara and Richard know each other's identities. Who's got the advantage now? And what about Dinah? Isn't she supposed to be missing right now? (Hee Hee Hee!)**

 **All this and more may (or may not) be answered in the next chapter as we approach the beginning of the climatic finale.**

 **Until next time!**


	11. Chapter 11

Tang Ri Shan

 **Red Wings**

 **(This is a sequel to Beware the Batman: Conundrum. I suggest reading that story if you have not done so already** **)**

Chapter 11

When Barbara woke up the next morning, her anger had cooled somewhat, though she was still upset at Richard.

"Good morning dad" She said as she came downstairs for breakfast, then paused. Commissioner Gordon wasn't at the table, he was near the front door, slipping on his coat. "Dad, what's going on?"

Her father turned to look at her, and the concern on her face almost made Barbara wish she hadn't asked. "I'm afraid one of your classmates has gone missing" He announced.

Barbara felt her eyes widen in surprise. "Who?"

"A girl named Dinah Lance" Her father's answer made Barbara gasp in horror. Her father's eyebrow rose at the reaction. "You know her?"

"Kinda" Barbara answered "She's new, I think. We've talked a lot in-between classes, but I haven't seen much of her anywhere else. What happened? Did eh run away?"

Her father shook her head, his expression becoming even more grim. "No, worse. She was kidnapped" Barbara gasped again and her father grimly nodded. "I'm heading over to her house now. I'll be back soon, okay?"

"I want to come with you" Barbara took a few steps towards her father, who shook his head.

"Barbara, this is official police business" He reminded her.

"But Dinah's my friend!" Barbara whined, then caught herself. "I mean, even though I don't see much of her, I still consider her a friend. I want to help!"

Commissioner Gordon looked thoughtful for a moment. "I suppose it might be okay, as long as you do what I tell you to do, okay?" He narrowed his eyes as he spoke, as if daring her to challenge him. Barbara nodded eagerly and dashed back upstairs. In her bedroom, she grabbed a notebook, an earpiece, her phone, and then swapped the glasses she was wearing now with an almost identical set she pulled out of a hidden drawer in her desk. She dashed downstairs and rejoined her father as they stepped out of the house and walked to his brown car.

Sitting in the back as her father eased out of the driveway, Barbara inserted the earpiece into her left ear and pressed a button until she heard a click. Turning on her phone, she tapped the screen until she saw Tatsu's number.

 _Is your blade sharp?_ She tapped out on her screen and sent the message. It was a code she had developed with Tatsu, telling her that there was trouble.

A few minutes later, her phone vibrated and a message appeared ' _Yes, are you alert?_

Barbara tapped back _Yes, but it smells really bad here_ , another code, signifying that Barbara could listen, but couldn't talk aloud. A few seconds later, she heard a click in her ear followed by Tatsu's voice. "What's up Barbara?"

In as few words as she could, Barbara tapped out what she was doing. "Yes, I heard about Dinah's kidnapping." Tatsu replied when she was finished. "Unfortunately, the only think we know is that it was done right in front of her parent's eyes"

Barbara's jaw dropped. _That's terrible! I'm h_ _eading to the site now. I'll look around._ She tapped into her phone. She paused, then added another phrase. _BTW: I'm wearing the new glasses he got for me._

"Very good. Let me know when you get there" Tatsu replied before signing off. Placing her phone back into her pocket, Barbara glanced out the window as the buildings sped by. At this speed, they looked all blurred and grey, and strangely wet, though maybe that was the tears that were beginning to gather in her eyes.

"Poor Dinah." Barbara mused. "I hope she's okay"

* * *

 **Meanwhile...**

Dinah Lance whimpered with terror and tugged fruitlessly at the gag that covered her mouth once, twice, three times, then thrust herself backwards, smacking into the wall behind her and falling painfully to the floor. _Spiders!_ Her mind yelled as she curled up into a tiny ball against the wall and glanced wildly into the darkness around her. _Thousands of Spiders! Crawling all over me! Get them off!_ She swatted at the spiders crawling over her, but her hands never made contact. She could feel the impact of each little spider leg on her bare skin. She screamed through her gag again, darting towards another corner of the darkened room she was in, a room with no doors and no windows. To her relief, the feeling of spiders on her legs and arms faded, but the terror soon returned as she felt another feeling, cold and scaly, wrap around her legs. _Snakes!_ Her mind realized, and she could almost hear the hissing of the venomous creatures ringing through her ears.

"MMM-MMMMM!" Dinah screamed, backing up and pounding on the metal door of the room. As if responding to her action, a fresh wave of terror suddenly shot through her and she turned back slowly to face the darkened room, which seemed empty, but Dinah could tell that it wasn't. There was something evil in this room, she could just feel it. _Spiders! Thousands of Spiders!_ She told herself, but just as she did, she felt something else. _Crocodiles!_ _Big, Man-eating Lizards! No, wait! Sharks! Yes, that's it! Huge Great White Sharks!_ A small part of her mind tried to tell her that this was impossible, she wasn't underwater, and the room was not big enough to hold such creatures, but somehow her mind refused to listen to logic. _What is happening to me?_

As another wave of terror hit, Dinah heard something behind her, something brushed through her long blond hair and she gave her loudest scream yet, causing the room to vibrate despite the gag she was wearing.

* * *

"Impressive" Penguin mused as he watched the one-way glass separating them from Dinah shake in its frame.

"Truely" The tall thin man at his side agreed. "It seems your information about her was accurate, her metahuman power is connected to her voice. The louder she screams, the more destructive it becomes."

Penguin felt a grin cross his squat face, but it didn't spread very far. "You're sure your process will break her?" He asked.

The man glanced down at him and his features darkened. "This process has broken people far tougher than her, she will crack, I promise you"

"Excellent" This time Penguin's smile stretched from cheek to cheek. "How soon before she is 'converted'?"

The man turned to stare back at the struggling girl. "Judging from her reactions, I would say it won't be much longer." He answered.

"And the others?" Penguin asked, his voice betraying his eagerness.

The man smiled and strode over to a desk. He pressed a series of buttons and a row of monitors came to life. Each one of them showed a similar scene from what they had just seen. In one monitor, a girl with chocolate colored skin was chained to the wall. As they watched, the girl suddenly wrenched her chains out of the wall completely, taking part of the wall out as well. In another monitor, a girl with long black hair was throwing what appeared to be balls of smoke and fire in every direction. In a third monitor, a girl with snow-white hair was moving at what appeared to be super-speed while in a fourth monitor, a teenage boy with red hair was punching the wall so hard it cracked. In the final monitor, a boy with what appeared to be a set of wings on his back was surrounded by levitating pieces of furniture.

"Excellent" Penguin's smile widened. "Once the process is complete, I'll have my own little army to take our all who stand in my way"

"You mean, our way, don't you?" The tall man next to him corrected.

"Of course Mr. Crane, _our_ way" Penguin agreed.

The man's features darkened. "I hate that" He muttered.

"Pardon?" Penguin raised an eyebrow.

"My name. Professor Johnathan Crane, I've always hated my name" The man muttered. "If you're going to come up with a code name, I think I will as well." He turned to face Penguin and his scowl was replaced with a smile. "From this moment on, call me the Scarecrow" As if agreeing with him, a raven appeared out of the darkness of the ceiling, landed on the man's shoulder, and cawed loudly.

Penguin chuckled. "She approves" He commented before turning back to the glass, and frowned. "Wait, what's happening to her?" He pointed to Dinah, who was sprawled on the floor, not moving.

Scarecrow's smiled widened. "I think..." He pondered as he returned to the computer and checked something. "Yes, her brain activity has changed. I think she has been broken"

"You're sure?" Penguin asked, sounding nervous. "A fine ending it would be if she was trying to trick us"

"How could she trick us? She doesn't even know we're here?" Scarecrow replied. "Besides, fear and pain make the body master over the will, and in a struggle like that, primal urges always overcome logical thinking."

* * *

 **Meanwhile**

Barbara swallowed the lump forming in her throat as she took in the scene before her. They were sitting in the living room of the apartment where Dinah lived in. Her mother, tall and blonde, like Dinah herself, was weeping into a hand towel while her husband, Officer Larry Lance, was answering her father's questions. Barbara had had a bit of a shock when she learned that Dinah's father was a police officer, but then, there was very little she actually knew about Dinah.

"Larry, why would someone want to kidnap Dinah?" Her father's voice shook Barbara out of her thoughts.

Officer Lance looked at his boss for a moment before shaking her head. "I don't know." His voice betrayed his concern. "But I've helped put away a lot of punks over the years, maybe one of them wanted a little payback" As soon as he said that however, his wife started sobbing even louder, causing officer Lance to look guilty.

Barbara crossed the room from the chair she was sitting in and gently took Mrs. Lance;s wrist. The blonde woman glanced up at her though tear-filled eyes. "Don't worry. We'll find Dinah, I promise" Barbara smiled at the blonde woman, who gave a weak and watery smile back.

"You're Barbara, right?" She asked, her voice tight. "Dinah's mentioned you a number of times. She's always saying how smart you are"

Barbara felt her cheeks flush slightly as she nodded. "Thanks" She mumbled, dropping her gaze to the floor. Then she heard a click in her ear and glanced up. "Um, where's your restroom?" She asked.

"Through the kitchen and to your left" Officer Lance pointed towards a nearby door.

"Thanks" Barbara darted through the door, made sure it was closed, then reached up and tapped the hidden earpiece. "I'm here" She said in a low voice. "Any luck?"

 _"Not yet"_ Bruce's voice crackled through. " _Recording the interview does help, but it doesn't tell us where she is now"_ Barbara's heart sank as she heard this. As if sensing this, Bruce added " _But I'm far from done. We WILL find Dinah"_

 _"_ I hope so" Barbara said to herself, glancing down at her feet, and noticed a toothpick lying next to it. Frowning, she reached down to pick it up, then paused as she realized that might belong to one of the family. _Maybe, I'm just paranoid_ Barbara thought to herself, but for some reason, she felt that particular toothpick was important. Walking over to a drawer, the searched through it until she found a small plastic bag and a pair of tweezers. Gently picking up the toothpick with the tweezers and placing it carefully into the plastic bag, which she then closed tightly and stuffed it into her shoulder bag. "Batman, I may have something" She muttered into her earpiece as she headed down to the restroom.

There was a pause at the other end. " _Care to tell me what?"_ Bruce finally asked.

"I'd rather not, in case I turn out to be wrong." Barbara explained, biting her lip as she spoke, as if now suddenly realizing that what she had just did, removing evidence from the scene of a crime, could be considered a crime itself. "I'll explain it to you later, okay?"

There was another pause, and when Bruce finally responded, his voice sounded serious. " _Fine, but don't do anything rash"_

"I know, that's your department, right?" Barbra joked. But inside, her mind was racing. If she wasn't a criminal before, she definitely was one now.

 _Hopefully Batman will understand **.**_ Barbara thought as she rejoined her father. _I'm doing this for Barbara's sake._

* * *

 **Meanwhile...**

Penguin strode through the main chamber of his new restaurant, the Iceberg Lounge. The room was painted white, with ivory-colored columns holding up a dark-blue ceiling painted to look like the night sky. Below that was a light blue-and-white floor pattern meant to symbolize a frozen sea. In the center of the room was a large pool dominated by what appeared to be an actual iceberg. A cluster of leopard seals barked to each other from their perches on the 'iceberg' while a pair of them leapt gracefully out of the water, chasing fish that had been released into the pool by the keepers.

Penguin smiled as he saw one of his new workers, wearing a white shirt, black trousers and matching jacket, flinch as one of the seals snapped at him as it leapt within inches of the man's face. While the leopard seals appeared to be just for show, anyone who got too close to them, would soon wish they hadn't.

Continuing past the iceberg pool, Penguin passed through a door that was almost hidden in the wall and headed down a dimly lit corridor. Reaching a black door, he opened it and found himself in a pluck office. Sighing happily, he crossed it and set himself down in a large black swivel chair behind an exotic black desk. No sooner had he gotten comfortable however, when there was a knock at the door.

Penguin frowned, but called out "Enter!"The door he had come though opened and Scarecrow stepped into the room, followed by Raven, one of his bodyguards. Penguin's frown flickered upwards and he leaned forward. "Well?"

Scarecrow just smiled at him, while Raven turned back towards the door. "Line up in here!" She barked. The door opened wider and six teens strode into the room and formed a line in front of Penguin's desk. For a moment, Penguin didn't move, he just sat there, his eyes running down his newest 'employees'. The two boys were wearing the same uniform the man by the seal tank had been wearing. Black trousers and a crisp white shirt and black bow tie. but the jacket was white with black lining instead of black. Their black shoes were gleaming in the office lights. The four girls were dressed like Raven was, with a low-cut black leotard, smoky grey nylons, sparkling black heels, a black bow tie on a white collar, and a black bowler hat.

Penguin's smile grew wider as he rose from his chair. "They certainly _look_ the part" He commented, and Scarecrow smiled. "But are they willing to follow orders?" Not waiting for Scarecrow to reply, Penguin turned to the line of teens and began addressing them. "Listen children, and listen well. I know you've had a rough time here at my establishment, but I assure you that all this is absolutely necessary. You see, Gotham City is a dangerous place, a cesspool that has become a magnet for thugs, freaks, and costumed weirdos" Penguin paused on the last word. "The Iceberg Lounge is meant to draw people away from that, a place where they can conduct their business and pleasure...in whatever form it takes, in a place of privacy and safety, and that is why I have brought the six of you here"

Penguin paused rather dramatically, and suddenly thrust out his umbrella, the tip extending to form a gleaming knife point. None of the teens flinched and Penguin smiled. "I need you to understand what I will be asking you for" With that, he whirled and pointed his umbrella at a dummy that stood against the fall. Pressing a button, he fired the knife-tip of his umbrella into the dummy's 'face', before turning back to the teens. "And that I expect my orders to be followed to the letter. Are you prepared for that?"

There was a pause, then the six teens answered simultaneously "I am"

Penguin snorted. "Will you obey my every command?"

"I will!" The six teens all but shouted. None of them moved a muscle at Penguin slowly made his way down the line, before stopping at the end.

"Are you with me, Zatanna?" He asked, looking into the face of the girl with long black hair.

"I'm with you" The girl replied, staring him back in the face.

Nodding, Penguin moved on to the next person, the boy who he had seen on the monitors with the wings on his back, though there was no trace of them now. "What about you, Condor?" He asked.

"I'm with you" The boy replied, meeting his gaze without blinking.

"And you, Vixen?" Penguin asked the third person in the line, the girl with chocolate-colored skin.

"I'm with you" The girl replied, and her lips cracked into a small smile. A small glow seeped out from underneath the bow tie she was wearing and the girls pupils suddenly seemed to shrink until they resembled cat's eyes.

Penguin shorted in amusement and proceeded to the next teen, the boy with red hair. "Hawk?" He probed.

The red-haired muscular boy glanced down at Penguin and nodded. "I'm with you" He said without breaking eye contact.

"Dove?" Penguin turned to the snowy-haired girl who stood next to Hawk, who met Penguin's gaze with cool blue eyes of her own.

I'm with you" She affirmed clearly.

Smiling, Penguin turned to the last girl in the line, whose head was tilted towards the floor. "And what about you?" He asked, cupping two fingers under the girl's chin and slowly lifting until he was looking her in the face. "Are you with me, my little Canary?"

Dinah Lance held Penguin's gaze for a minute before answering in a loud and clear voice. "I'm with you, sir"

"Excellent" Apparently satisfied, Penguin strode back to his desk and turned back to the six teens and spread out his arms. "Remember, you are no longer six teenagers with unusual abilities, you are my Birds of Prey, whose purpose is to protect me and my establishment at any cost. Condor and Hawk will serve as bouncers, while the girls will waitress. Raven, Lark, and Jay will guide you through your new duties. I want you to have your new assignments memorized before the grand opening, understood?"

The six teens nodded and Penguin dismissed them. "Heaven help anyone who crosses your path, he said to himself as he sat down at his desk and watched Raven lead the teens out. "Or mine" He added as he gave a wicked chuckle.

* * *

 **And Cut!**

 **OK, I know what you're thinking; 'Hey wait a minute! The Birds of Prey are supposed to be the good guys!'. and you're right, but every hero team needs to have an origin, so I thought I'd make this one a little...darker, if you know what I mean. As anyone who has seen 'Return of the Joker' (great movie btw) can remember; 'it adds resonance to a hero's mission to have some defining element of tragedy in their background'. Being under the control of an evil mastermind seems like a defining element to me!**

 **It seems we are gearing up towards an epic showdown! Will the Outsiders have to contend with these new 'Birds of Prey'? Will Barbara ever get her friend Dinah back? Will she ever make up with Richard? We'll see.**

 **Until Next Time!**


	12. Chapter 12

Tang Ri Shan

 **Red Wings**

 **(This is a sequel to Beware the Batman: Conundrum. I suggest reading that story if you have not done so already** **)**

Chapter 12

Barbara frowned as she watched the computer run its analysis of the toothpick she had recovered from Dinah's house. The item in question was currently lying underneath a scanner, which was sweeping up and down the wooden splinter, searching for DNA. The computer beeped, indicating a match had been found.

"Any luck?" Tatsu asked from her position behind Barbara's chair.

"Yeah, We've got some DNA" Barbara began typing in a few commands. "Now all we have to do is compare it with the police records. If the thug who took Dinah has been incarcerated before, they'll have his DNA on file."

"You can access the Police Network?" Tatsu raised an eyebrow.

Barbara paused, then glanced up at her. She was frowning. "Well...not legally, or course" She admitted.

Tatsu nodded. "You're upset about what happened to Dinah"

"It's not just that" Barbara admitted, scooting back from the counter. "It's about...well, about what I'm doing"

Tatsu raised an eyebrow. "I don't think I follow"

"Well, my dad taught me from an early age that laws need to be followed, and I've always done that" Seeing the small smile on Tatsu's face, she quickly added "Well, mostly"

"And now you think that just because you've broken one or two laws, it makes you a criminal?" Tatsu reasoned.

"Well, so far I've set up someone I care about, blackmailed someone, removed evidence from the scene of a crime, and now I'm about to hack into a police network" Barbara listed. "Not to mention everything I did while the Question was in town. I just...wonder if I'll know when to stop"

"The line between good and evil is often blurred" Tatsu quoted, smiling as she spoke. "But breaking a law is not always wrong, as long as you do it for the right reason"

For a few seconds, the two women stared at each other, then Barbara rose from her chair, walked over to Tatsu, and threw her arms around her in a big hug. "What's that for?" Tatsu asked, surprise written all over her face.

"For being there" Barbara simply answered. "You have no idea how confusing things have gotten for me. It's just...nice to know I have a rock that I can hang onto"

Tatsu raised an eyebrow. "I'm a rock?" She repeated, causing Barbara to giggle. Before she could explain however, the computer beeped. "Looks like a match"

"Right" Barbara dashed over the the computer screen and pressed a key, a face appeared on the screen of a large man with a balding head, and a thick forest of stubble on his chin. "Reginard Morraday, AKA Strongman. Former circus strongman who turned to a life of crime after the circus he was traveling with went under, rumored to be in league with gang boss Tony Zucco." Barbara read out loud.

"Lovely" Tatsu muttered sarcastically as Barbara hit a few more keys. A second image appeared next to Strongman's showing a thin man with white hair and mismatched eyes. "So that's Zucco?"

"Yeah" Barbara replied, scanning the info beneath the image. "And according to this, Zucco was in the circus himself. His family were knife-throwers."

"Great, so now we're fighting against circus freaks" Tatsu snorted, but her words made Barbara wince as her mind drifted to Richard.

 _Focus!_ Barbara shook her head to clear her mind. She type a command and ordered. "Computer, search police and federal records for any other known associates of Tony Zucco."

" _Searching_ " The computer replied. A minute later it added " _Found, two other known associates of Tony Zucco_ "

Two more images appeared on the screen next to Zucco's. One was thin with black hair and the other appeared to be a bald midget. "Nedry Lasher and Cyrus Gansley, AKA The Tamer and the Juggler" Barbra read the information aloud. "Both performed at the circus the Strongman worked at, as a lion tamer and an acrobat, and both became criminals alongside him when the circus went under"

"But why would a group of ex-circus performers want to kidnap Dinah Lance?" Tatsu asked.

"Revenge maybe?" Barbra suggested, "After all, they are cons and Dinah's father is a cop"

 _"Probable, but unlikely"_ The computer interrupted in its tinny voice. " _My analysis of the police records indicates that there is no known connection between Tony Zucco and Officer Lance"_

"Are you sure? Check all records again" Barbara ordered

 _"I have already triple checked all existing records"_ The compute replied _"I have found no connection"_

"That we know of" Barbara muttered, rubbing her chin. "Okay, so if it isn't revenge, then they must want something else from her father, but what?"

Before Tatsu could answer, the hiss of the opening elevator doors drew the ladies' attention. Bruce and Alfred appeared in the elevator, and their eyes widened in surprise upon seeing them there.

"What are you two doing down here?" Alfred asked.

"Trying to find a reason for Dinah's kidnapping" Barbara explained, turning back to the screen. "So far, we've determined that it isn't personal, like revenge."

"Has there been any ransom demands from the kidnappers?" Bruce asked.

"Not that I know of" Barbara shook her head. Tatsu mirrored her actions.

"Then it has to be personal" Bruce looked even more solemn than usual. "Which means there must be a link between Dinah and Zucco we're not seeing"

Alfred nodded "A policeman's daughter is usually not worth the trouble to kidnap, unless there's some kind of personal reason behind doing so. All we need to do now is find it"

Before Barbara could say anything else, the computer suddenly beeped. " _Apologies for interrupting, but I have discovered something. It appears that Miss Lance was not the only person that this particular group has targeted."_

"Explain" Bruce ordered.

The computer whirred and Dina's image on the screen shifted to one corner, to be replaced with three more images, two girls and one boy. " _It seems that over the past few months, physical evidence from the Strongman has been found at the scene of three abductions, all involving teenagers"_

Barbara eyes widened. "Who are they?"

 _"Checking_ " The computer whirred for a few moments, then one by one, each picture was highlighted on the screen.

The first image showed a girl with blonde, almost white, hair wearing a white lab coat. " _One Dawn Granger by name. British transfer student currently attending University of Gotham"_

The second image showed a muscular boy with short red hair wearing football pads. " _One Hank Hall by name. Football star at the University of Gotham"_

The final image showed a girl with black hair wearing a magician costume " _One Zatanna by name, daughter of the famous stage magician Giovanni Zatara._ "

"Zatanna?" Alfred's eyes widened. "How interesting."

"It's a start" Bruce said before turning towards the vault that stored his costumes.

"Where are you going?" Tatsu asked.

"To make a house call" Bruce said simply, disappearing into the vault.

"Did we miss something?" Tatsu and Barbara looked at Alfred, who sighed.

"Bruce and Zatanna have history." He explained. "Bruce studied with her father, the Great Zatara for a while while the magician was on tour, learning what he could about illusion effects and escape tricks. Zatanna was just a young girl at the time, working as one of her father's stage hands and...well...she..." Alfred paused.

Tatsu suddenly smiled. "Oh, I think I see where this is going"

Alfred nodded. "Zatanna had a crush on Master Bruce."

Barbara's eyes widened. "She did?"

"Oh yes" Alfred smiled. "She'd follow him for hours and watch him any chance she got. In the early stages she could barely be in the same room with him, and when she finally work up the courage to talk with him, she'd get all tongue-tied"

"Wow" Barbara giggled. "Yeah, that sounds like a crush to me"

"And how did Bruce take to this?" Tatsu asked.

"Actually, I think he seemed to...enjoy the attention." Alfred said, and his eyes seemed to glaze over. "As time went by, he and Zatanna began spending more and more time together. He'd help Zatanna practice her own magic act, she'd always insist that Bruce play with her, even though he was ten years older than her."

"Wow" Barbara said, her eyes wide, "Obsessed-much?"

Alfred suddenly became solemn. "In a way, I'm actually very grateful to Zatanna. I believe the affection she showed for Master Bruce, and the attention she gave him...may have helped to patch the void left by his parent's death"

The cave grew silent as Tatsu and Barbara pondered the weight of Alfred's words.

Alfred sighed. "Zatanna was...crushed when Bruce eventually left her father's act. But I like to think that Bruce was an inspiration to her." He typed a command on the keyboard and a series of newspaper clippings and pictures appeared on the screen. "Zatara has recently retired from performing, and Zatanna has stepped into the spotlight in his place. From what I her, she's become quite the magic sensation."

"Wow, I'll say" Barbara said as her eyes rolled over stories of Zatanna's performances.

"Any way, Zatara and Bruce have kept in contact ever since Bruce left. It's as good a place as any to start investigating." Alfred said.

"Then let's pay the magician a visit" Barbara said. She felt excited.

" _I'll_ be paying him a visit" Bruce spoke up, having just emerged from the Vault in his costume, except for his cowl, which was down. "Alone"

"What?" Barbara gasped.

Bruce ignored her and turned to Tatsu. "Tatsu, the Question will be arriving in Gotham later today, I want you to meet him."

"The Question?" Tatsu raised an eyebrow. "Why's _he_ coming back here?"

"Because I invited him" Bruce answered.

"And why would you do that?"

"Because if my hunch is right, we're going to need all the help we can get dealing with Zucco and his circus freaks" Bruce said.

Tatsu stared for a moment, then she nodded. " _Fine._ But I don't like him"

"I'm not asking you to like him, I'm asking you just to work with him" Bruce said, before turning away.

"Easier said than done" Tatsu muttered.

"Hey! What about me?" Barbara said, but Bruce again ignored her, turning to Alfred.

"Alfred, have you had any luck contacting the person we talked about?"

A faint smile appeared on Alfred's lips. "Indeed I have. They are awaiting your call at this moment"

"I'll take it on the way over" Bruce said and turned to head towards the batmobile.

"WHAT ABOUT ME?" Barbara wailed, her voice echoing through the cave.

This time, Bruce did turn to look at her. "What _about_ you?"

"Dinah's my friend! If Zucco's taken her, than I have to help!" Barbara took a step towards Bruce.

"You already have your mission, Barbara" Bruce answered.

Barbara blinked for a second. "You mean Richard? I told you, it's taken care of!"

"All the same, I want you to continue keeping an eye on him" Bruce said, then he dashed towards the batmobile.

"Oh come on, this isn't fair!" Barbara ran after him. "I'm an Outsider too, remember? I've taken the same risks as any of you, or have you forgotten that?"

Bruce froze.

Silence echoed in the cave.

Bruce slowly turned around and stalked forwards until he towered above Barbara, who tried not to blink as she stared into his cold eyes.

"Yes Barbara, you are an Outsider. No, I have not forgotten the risks you have undertaken to protect Gotham. But need I remind you that the Outsiders are _my_ team?" He knelt down until he was nose to nose with Barbara. "And as such, anyone who signs on plays by _my_ rules, or they don't play at all"

"But I...!"

"You have your assignment, and I expect you to follow through with it" Bruce cut her off as he straightened up. "You _will_ stick with Richard, and you will do nothing else, until I say otherwise, is that clear?"

Barbara couldn't believe what she was hearing. "You can't just expect me to...!"

"IS. THAT. CLEAR?" Bruce said, his voice becoming dangerously sharp. The cave grew silent.

Barbara felt her whole body trembling. Her breathing was shaky and her teeth ground together in silent protest. But she knew that Batman was right. She had to play by his rules. "Crystal" She growled, her mouth set so tight she could barely get the word out.

"Good" Bruce said as he pulled his cowl over his face. He looked up at the others.

"I'll be back" He said, switching to his Batman voice. "And when I do, I will expect results"

"Yes sir" Alfred nodded.

"Of course" Tatsu said.

Barbara didn't say anything, she just watched Batman dash to his car.

How could this be happening? Barbara had thought that joining the Outsiders would make things easier, but she was starting to see herself as even more of Batman's puppet. Didn't he care that Dinah, one of her good friends, was in danger? Obviously not, or he wouldn't be forcing her to tail the idiotic Richard instead of rescuing her friend.

Barbara's eyes suddenly lit up as an idea came to her. Maybe there was a way she could do both! Barbara quickly frowned as she realized what that would involve her doing. But she had no choice. With that in mind, Barbara turned and stalked towards the elevator.

"Barbara, where are you going?" Tatsu called after her.

"To do my assignment" Barbara replied, trying to keep her voice calm as she stepped into the elevator. "He wants me to stick with Richard Grayson, that's exactly what I'll do"

As the elevator doors closed, she saw Tatsu and Alfred exchange a look and gave a wicked smile. "I just wonder what Richard is going to be doing tonight" She said to herself.

* * *

 **And Cut!**

 **Wow, it's been a while since I updated this story! But I've recently re-watched Beware the Batman and I feel re-inspired.**

 **It looks like Barbara will be going behind Batman's back. I wonder how Batman will react when he finds out about it! (Evil chuckle)**

 **So begins the climax of this story. Hang on tight everyone!**

 **Until next time!**


	13. Chapter 13

Tang Ri Shan

 **Red Wings**

 **(This is a sequel to Beware the Batman: Conundrum. I suggest reading that story if you have not done so already** **)**

Chapter 13

Batman slowly climbed out of the batmobile and gazed up at the theater before him. According to the messages he traded with Zatara, the ex magician had purchased this theater after retiring. Though he no longer performed in it, he now ran a place that inspired new magicians to come and perform.

Batman approached the stage door in the back of the building and cautiously tugged the doorknob. Locked.

Batman pulled a lockpick from his gloves and knelt down to pick the lock.

Suddenly, the door opened inwards with such force that Batman was yanked off his feet. He was flung through the doorway into the darkened space beyond.

"Great" Batman growled. A sudden hiss drew his attention and he saw a pair of cables rear up in front of him like a pair of angry snakes. Before he could react, the cabled lunged and wound themselves around Batman's body, lifting him up into the air.

" _Who dares enter unannounced?_ " A loud voice suddenly spoke from the surrounding darkness, but it was impossible to tell where it was coming from. It seemed to be all around him.

Batman struggled, but the cables had immobilized his wrists and he could not reach his belt. "Zatara! It's Batman!" He shouted.

" _I did not ask what you are! I asked who you are!"_ The voice said and Batman felt the cables around him begin to squeeze tightly.

"Who I am and what I am are the same!" Batman replied. "I'm here concerning your daughter Zatanna! I'm a friend of hers!"

The cables suddenly retracted, causing Batman to fall to the hard floor. A floodlight suddenly snapped on, blinding Batman for a moment. When his vision cleared, he saw that he was standing on the stage and a metal table and two chairs had been set up in the middle of it.

As Batman approached from one side, he heard footsteps. A tall thin man with a small mustache appeared on the other side of the table. He was dressed in a magician's outfit.

"Zatara" Batman said.

"The same" The magician nodded. "I apologize for the rough treatment. Since my daughter went missing, I have feared that I may be next. But any friend of Zatanna is a friend of mine" Zatara motioned for Batman to take a seat.

"She's a very special woman" Batman said as he sat down.

"Indeed" The magician said, stiffly sitting down and setting something on the table. "I suspect that may partially be the reason for her disappearance"

"What do you mean?" Batman asked, glancing down at the photo album as Zatara opened it.

The first few pages of the album contained pictures of Zatara himself performing various tricks "As you may be aware, I am quite the illusionist. In my time in the spotlight, I achieved feats that most people can only dream of accomplishing" Zatara chuckled for a moment, before looking sober again as he glanced down at a picture of Zatanna wearing a magician's outfit. "But my daughter, ah, she has a level of skill that may surpass even mine. Already she has performed several feats that I cannot hope to duplicate."

"She's become _that_ good?" Batman's surprise was evident.

"Oh yes" Zatara stroked his mustache. "Sometimes I begin to wonder, when I watch her perform, if it is _truly_ an illusion I am seeing before me, or if it is...actual magic"

" _Actual magic_?" Batman repeated as she gazed at photo after photo of Zatara and Zatanna performing together.

"Are you saying you do not believe?" Zatara looked at Batman with a raised eyebrow.

"Of course I believe" Batman said.

"Yet, there is doubt in your voice" Zatara pushed.

"Over the past eight months, almost all of my beliefs have been challenged in some way." Batman admitted. "So much has changed. I fear _I've_ changed as well, even though I don't want to."

Zatara nodded, like he understood. "Change _can_ be a powerful force, and sometimes it hits us when we are not ready to accept it" He gestured to the current page of the album. "These particular photos were taken during the last tour Zatanna and I took together about three months ago, before I retired and she embarked on her solo career." The magician explained as the two of them glanced over the photos in the album. "When these were taken I was so angry with her I swore never to look at them again, but now I find that looking at them never fails to bring me joy" He turned the page.

"Wait, go back one!" Batman suddenly said.

"Oh, certainly" The magician flipped back a page. There, gazing up at them from one of the pictures, was Zatara and Zatanna. Standing next to them, grinning rather smugly, was a short squat man with a monocle and a beak-like nose.

"Oswald Cobblepot" Batman growled.

"Ah yes, I remember him" Zatara stroked his chin. "A rather unusual person. He came to the last show I did before I announced my intention to resign. He wanted me to come and work for him, performing at his new nightclub, the Iceberg Lounge, but I was not interested." Zatara started laughing. "You know, with that nose and in that clothing, he sort of looked like a talking penguin"

Something in Batman's mind suddenly seemed to click. "The Penguin" He breathed.

Zatara looked up. "Pardon?"

"Tell me Zatara, did Oswald Cobblepot show interest in your daughter at all?" Batman asked.

Zatara frowned, thinking. "Yes, yes he did!" He said eventually. "Zatanna told me that after I said no, he approached her and made a very similar offer."

"And she turned him down as well?"

"Yes, and now that I recall, he did seem quite disappointed as he left later that evening." Zatara said. "At the time, I assumed he was as upset as everyone else that I was retiring.

"Clearly it was about something else" Batman said, his face darkening. "I've heard of Oswald Cobblepot. He's know for having high ambitions, and about doing whatever it takes to achieve those ambitions."

Zatana's brow furrowed. "You think _he_ took my daughter?"

"I don't know. But I intend to find out" Batamn turned to leave only to be roughly yanked backwards by the wrist. Turning, he saw that Zatara had somehow cuffed him to the table when he wasn't looking.

"I'm sorry Batman, but this is a family matter." The magician got to his feet, his expression grim. "I appreciate you giving me this potential lead, but I must handle this alone"

With that, the magician headed for the door, only to stop when he felt a hand on his shoulder.

"You want to protect your daughter, I get it." Batman said, turning the magician around. "But you don't have to do this alone"

"I am the only family Zatanna has." Zatara argued. "And I am more than capable of protecting her by myself!"

Batman shook his head. "I once thought like you, both in terms of how large my family was, and how I could protect them. I was wrong, on both counts."

Zatara raised an eyebrow. "Oh?"

"Family isn't just limited by blood ties." Batman explained. "It's made of those who care for you, and that includes friends and partners, and you can accomplish far more with others than you can by yourself."

Zatara met Batamn's gaze for a moment, then his mustache curled up as she smiled. "Well said" He glanced to the table twenty feet away, where the handcuffs dangled from the metal frame. "And I see you haven't lost any of your skill"

A smile flitted across Batman's face. "I had a good teacher"

Zatara chuckled at this.

"Let me handle this Zatara." Batman urged. "If Cobblepot is behind this, he'll probably have someone monitoring you. If you go storming after him, you risk putting Zatanna in danger. She'll be safest if you stay put"

" _Very Well!_ " Batman blinked. Where the magician had been a second ago was now empty air. " _I shall play it your way, Batman!_ " The magician's voice seemed to resonate from all around him. " _But I will not wait forever!_ "

"You won't regret it Zatara!" Batman called out to the darkness. "I'll see to it!"

" _That remains to be seen!_ " The magician's voice echoed in the room. A light suddenly snapped on, illuminating a stage door, which opened of its own accord. " _Good luck Batman! I feel you are going to need it!_ "

Batman nodded and strolled towards the door, his mind already reeling about the call he was going to make to Alfred when he got back to his car.

* * *

Barbara's eyes widened as she stepped out of the taxicab, which whisked away without a second word.

"Wow" She breathed.

Before her lay a pristine white house. It wasn't as big as Wayne Manor, but it was still much bigger than her own. Barbara couldn't see much over the tall white wall, but she could make out red roofing tiles beyond it.

 _Why do rich people always like to build big?_ She wondered as she approached the front gate of the Kane Residence. Through it, she could see a small, but sweeping, green lawn and what looked like a four car garage.

The gate was locked, and Barbara could see no way to open it except for an intercom box mounted on the wall below a camera. She sighed, gritting her teeth. Here goes nothing.

Barbara pressed the buzzer on the intercom and looked up at the camera with what she hoped was a pleasant smile.

" _Yes? Who is it?_ " A female voice spoke from the intercom. Barbara didn't recognize it.

Suddenly Barbara found herself tongue-tied. She took a deep breath. "B-Barbara Gordon, to see Richard Grayson. I'm a classmate of his." She said.

" _I'm sorry ma'am, but Master Grayson is not in right now._ " The voice spoke after a minute.

For a second, Barbara panicked. _Now what?_ Then a sudden thought struck her. "Then can I talk to Miss Kane please? It's very important" She smiled up at the camera.

There was a pause. " _One moment please, I'll open the gate"_ The gaze buzzed loudly and swung open on its own accord.

 _Cool!_ Barbara thought as she walked through the gate, which swung shut on its own behind her. _I should see if Dad can install one of these on our front door!_

She crossed the well-groomed driveway and climbed the short marble staircase to the big black front doors. As she reached for them, they opened inwards. A young woman with blonde hair and wearing what looked like a maid's uniform peeked out.

"Hello Ms Gordon" She said, giving her a warm smile. "I'm Miss Alice. Please come in"

"Thank you" Barbara said, still a little stunned by the house.

The inside of the house was huge. Large white walls seemed to gleam in the sunlight streaming in from the windows. White columns soared up from where Barbara was to support the ceiling three stories above her. What was not white was black, including all of the doors. At the top of the stairway that lead to the second floor, Barbara could see a large picture frame of Miss Kane, Richard, and an elderly man with white hair who Barbara assumed was Miss Kane's late husband. Barbara grinned as she saw how happy they all looked.

"Miss Kane will see you in the living room" Miss Alice said, motioning to a door that lead off the hall. Barbara suddenly noticed the woman was wearing white gloves. "Please follow me."

Barbara followed the maid into a smaller room with white walls and a thick white rug.

"Please take a seat." Miss Alice motioned to a pair of black couches that sat on either side of a clear glass table. "Miss Kane will be with you shortly" With that, she left the room.

"Wow" Barbara said as she sat down on one of the couches, gazing around the room. "I wonder how much effort goes into keeping a place like this clean." She unconsciously assumed a more mature sitting position and adjusted her skirt. Normally Barbara didn't care too much about how she looked, but after seeing how clean Miss Kane's house was, she suddenly wished she had put on something a little more formal.

The clicking of heels made Barbara look up to see Miss Kane standing in the doorway wearing a black sleeveless dress, matching heels, and a big smile.

"Barbara, darling!" She cooed, striding towards Barbara with her arms spread out.

"Hello Miss Kane" Barbara rose to her feet. "Nice to see you"

"Oh sweetie, no need for such formalities." Miss Kane gushed as she kissed Barbara lightly on both cheeks. "Call me Kathy. I insist"

"Okay, Kathy" Barbara said, feeling a little stunned at the level of affection Kathy was displaying. She could see Miss Alice standing by the door, enjoying the show.

Kathy followed her gaze. "Alice dear, could you bring some tea and sweets?"

Miss Alice nodded. "Yes ma'am. Right away." She smiled at Barbara before leaving the room.

"Now then," Kathy elegantly sat down on one of the couches across from Barbara. "I'm _simply_ dying to find out what you wanted to talk to me about"

Barbara's mind whirred. "Well, it was actually Richard I was hoping to talk to" She finally said. "I have a little problem and I was hoping he could help me with it"

"Oh, well I'm sure he'll be delighted to help you, dear" Kathy smiled warmly. "No one's ever come to see him, you know" She sighed. "I imagine he must be feeling kind of lonely." She looked away towards the far wall. "I know exactly how that feels"

Barbara followed her gaze and saw another painting. This one just showed Miss Kane and her husband.

"Is that your husband?" The question was out before Barbara could stop it.

"Yes" Kathy nodded and Barbara could see pain in her eyes.

"So," Barbara quickly changed the subject. "Do you know where Richard might be?"

"I believe he went out on a stroll." Kathy answered. "But he should be back _any_ minute"

There was a knock at the door and Miss Alice returned with a loaded tray. "Your tea ma'am." She said. "Oh and Master Grayson has just returned."

Barbara stiffened as she heard the sounds of someone moving in the hallway.

"Ah excellent" Kathy clapped her hands together. Raising her voice, she called out "Richard darling! Is that you?"

"Yes Kathy!" Richard's voice replied from the hall. Barbara felt her heart begin to race.

"Could you come in here please? A friend has come to see you!" Kathy sang out.

Taking a deep breath, Barbara turned in her seat as Richard came into the room. When he saw Barbara his facial expression changed from bored to surprised to angry in the span of three seconds.

"What are _you_ doing here?" He demanded, narrowing his eyes at Barbara.

Kathy gave a horrified gasp and even the maid looked surprised at his outburst. " _Richard!_ Shame on you!" Kathy shrilled, walking over to him as quickly as her spike-heels would allow. "This nice young lady has come all this way to see you and you greet her like _that_? Where are your manners?"

"That's okay Miss...I mean, Kathy." Barbara rose to her feet, trying to hide her smile. "Richard's reaction is completely normal. After all, he didn't know I was coming"

Kathy snorted. "Most noble of you to try to shield him my dear..." Barbara clamped her teeth together not to giggle at Richard's outraged expression. "...but that is no excuse for bad manners" She frowned at Richard, and then gestured towards Barbara. "Now you will greet her the proper way"

Barbara's mouth quivered as she saw the look of outrage on Richard's face. "But Kathy, She's..."

" _Ri-chard!_ " Kathy warned, her voice suddenly becoming dangerous.

Still looking angry, Richard approached Barbara and held his hand out. Hesitantly, Barbara took it, but was shocked when Richard bent over her hand and actually kissed it.

"Welcome, Miss Gordon. You honor our humble home with your presence." He said, his face twisted into what appeared to be a pleasant smile.

Barbara felt her cheeks turn red. For a moment, she was so stunned she couldn't do anything. Her training came to her rescue and she adopted a look of a flattered girl.

"Wow Richard" She gasped. "I had no idea you were so...charming" She gave a small laugh and saw the maid snickering in the background.

Richard's smile quivered and his eyes flashed angrily.

Barbara winked at him and turned to Kathy. "Kathy, could Richard and I have a moment... _alone_...please?" She fluttered her eyelashes at the older woman.

Richard's eyes widened and Kathy smirked. "Oh yes, _of course_ my dear." She said before swinging on her heel and trotting out of the room. "Come Alice, I'll take my tea in the kitchen"

"Yes ma'am" The maid said, but she winked at Barbara before she left. Barbara winked back.

"Well, I hope you're happy!" Richard growled when they were alone.

"Mmmm, not really" Barbara teased. "Seeing you act like a gentleman wasn't as fun as I thought it would be" She let out a giggle as Richard glared at her. But deep down, she was still reeling over the fact Richard had actually kissed her hand.

"So, what do you want?" Richard growled as he took a seat on one of the couches. "Come to remind me that you're always watching me? How I can't do anything because you'll go running off to your boss?"

"Look" Barbara snapped, dropping all humor from her expression. Richard looked surprised. "I don't like this any more than you do. If I had my way I wouldn't come within a hundred yards of you" She said.

"Then why are you here?" Richard asked.

Barbara gritted her teeth. _Here goes nothing!_ "I need your help" She mumbled.

"Sorry?" Richard asked.

"I...Need...Your...Help" Barbara said slowly.

Richard's face changed from curious to amused. "I'm sorry, I still can't hear you. What was that?" He teased.

"Don't play that, you heard me!" Barbara snapped.

"So, you finally accept that you and Batman are in dire need of my supremely awesome acrobatic skills" Richard boasted.

Barbara giggled, then quickly caught herself and disguised it by clearing her throat.

"Okay, one, Batman doesn't need you, _I_ do. And two, I couldn't care less about your 'awesome skills', what I really need is your knowledge"

"Huh?" Richard looked confused.

Reaching into her purse, Barbara pulled out a picture of the Strongman. "Do you know this man?" She asked, setting the picture on the table in front of Richard.

Richard glanced down at the photo. His jaw tightened. "Yeah, sure I know him. He used to perform in my father's circus, till my father caught him stealing and threw him out. Why?"

Barbara smiled. Now they were getting somewhere! "He's working for Tony Zucco now"

Richard's eyes widened. "Seriously? Are you sure?"

Barbara nodded sadly. "Positive. He's already kidnapped someone. Someone we both know."

Richard stared. "Who?"

"Dinah Lance"

Richard's face paled. "Dinah? I'd heard she was missing, but..." His voice broke off.

Barbara took a deep breath. "Look Richard, I'll be honest with you" She said, beginning a speech she had rehearsed in the cab ride over. "I know I haven't exactly been the nicest person to you"

"Obviously" Richard snorted.

"And part of that was simply because I was following Batman's orders" Barbara continued, ignoring Richard's jab. "He thinks that you're a loose cannon that will do more harm than good. But what I said that night in the construction site was also true. I really thought that you were just a vengeful vigilante"

Richard raised an eyebrow. "And now you don't?"

"Oh I still do" Barbara hastily corrected him. "But I also believe in the benefit of the doubt, and in second chances."

"Meaning?" Richard now looked interested.

"Meaning, I'll make a deal with you." Barbara said slowly, choosing her words very carefully. "I know you want to take Zucco down, and I want to save Dinah, and all the other people that have been kidnapped."

"There are more?" Richard asked.

Barbara nodded. "At least two others, and that's just the Strongman, if there are other crooks involved, who knows how many victims there could be. Anyway, Batman and Katana are on another case, and he refuses to let me investigate because he wants me to keep an eye on you."

Richard snorted. "And you just naturally do what he says?"

Barbara frowned. "Trust me Richard. Batman is _not_ someone you say no to." She shuddered as she remembered the cold look in Bruce's eyes. "But he only said I couldn't investigate, he didn't say anything about you"

Richard perked up. "Keep talking"

Barbara took a deep breath. Time for the pitch. "So here's the deal. If you help me rescue Dinah, and the other victims, and not mess it up, I'll put in a good word for you with Batman"

Richard's mouth curled up into a smile. "Go on"

"Despite our differences, Batman trusts my judgement. I'll tell him that I was unable to stop you, but I was very impressed with the skill, and restraint, that you showed in rescuing Dinah." Barbara continued. "And who knows? If you do this right, you may impress Batman as well, which may cause him to be... _lenient_ on certain things..." Barbara's voice trailed off, but she hoped Richard got the hint.

The other half of Richard's mouth curled up.

"One condition though" Barbara quickly added. "I'm still worried about the restraint part, so I'll be calling the shots and you have to follow them, to the letter"

Richard's smile faded. "Why should I agree to that?"

"Because you're reckless" Barbara said. "Remember the laughing gas? You didn't listen and it nearly got both of us killed."

Richard scowled, but didn't say anything.

"You know I'm right Richard. And if you want to prove to Batman that you can be a team player, you have to start somewhere" Barbara said.

Richard sighed. "Fine"

"There's another problem as well." Barbara said, as she glanced at the picture again. She shuddered. "I hate to say it, but two kids may not be enough to stop the Strongman, especially if he's not alone. We'll need some more help"

"Help huh?" Richard looked thoughtful, then smiled. "I know just the person. An old mentor of mine. His fighting skills are...legendary. He also has an unbreakable moral code, so he can help 'restrain' me as well"

Barbara smirked. "Fine, but he has to follow my orders too"

Richard nodded. "That shouldn't be a problem." Then he frowned. "But what if Batman finds out?"

"Let _me_ worry about him." Barbra said, trying to sound confident, though in reality she was hoping Batman didn't find out until it was too late. "Do we have a deal, Red Robin?" She extended a hand.

Richard smiled and shook it. "Deal. Where do we start, Oracle?"

"If we find the Strongman, we find Zucco" Barbara smiled triumphantly. "You call your mentor. I have some research to do"

* * *

 **And Cut!**

 **Now we're getting somewhere! I'm already working on the next chapter so expect another update soon!**

 **In response to question posted a few days ago, Red Robin's wings are in his costume, not on his back. If you look at some of the Teen Titans comics, you'll see what I mean.**

 **Until Next Time!**


	14. Chapter 14

Tang Ri Shan

 **Red Wings**

 **(This is a sequel to Beware the Batman: Conundrum. I suggest reading that story if you have not done so already** **)**

Chapter 14

"Where _is_ he?" Oracle asked, adjusting her mask and glancing at her watch. "He should have been here by now!"

"Don't worry" Red Robin soothed as he stretched his arms. "He'll be here. He's just not always punctual"

"I'm only worried about Dinah" Oracle snapped. "I couldn't care less about this 'Dragon', especially since you've been so mysterious as to who he actually is"

"He's the best of the best. That's all that's worth knowing." Robin said. "Just trust me, Barbara"

"That's Oracle, to you!" Oracle whirled around, her finger pressing into Robin's nose. "As long as I'm wearing _this_..." She pointed to her mask. "You will call me _that_ , and nothing else! And as for trusting you, I don't. Not yet."

"A wise policy, my dear" A voice suddenly spoke from behind her. Oracle whipped around, and gasped.

Perched on the edge of the rooftop was a figure dressed in black ninja garb, only his dark eyes and the skin around them was visible.

Oracle instantly assumed a fighting pose, but froze when Robin cried out. " _There_ you are Big Guy! Where have you been?"

"My apologies for the delay. I don't know Gotham as well as you two do." The figure said as it leapt off the wall and walked towards them. "It took me a while to find the right building" The ninja's eyes ran over the both of them, and paused on Oracle. "Is this a friend of yours, Little Guy?"

"Big Guy? Little Guy?" Oracle glanced at Red Robin and saw him scowl.

"Pet names" He said, then turned back to the ninja. "Dragon, this is Oracle. She's a hacker and works alongside Batman in keeping Gotham safe."

"I see" The ninja said and Oracle thought she detected a tone of respect in his voice.

"And _you_ are?" Oracle asked.

"Do you not know?" The ninja asked, his eyes twinkling. He ninja pulled down his hood and Barbara was surprised to see a receding line of fiery red hair.

"No, I don't" Oracle admitted, placing her hands on her hips.

The ninja reached for the covering on his face, then nodded at Red Robin, who chuckled. "Oracle, allow me to present, Richard Dragon" The ninja pulled off his facial covering, revealing a granite-like face and a rock-solid jaw covered in a mustache and beard the same color as the man's hair.

Oracle felt her jaw drop open. "No way" She gasped. " _The_ Richard Dragon? The famous martial artist?"

Dragon smiled and bowed to her. "At your service, Miss Oracle"

"Cool" Oracle beamed, her eyes widening beneath her mask.

* * *

"Do you really think Oswald Cobblepot is the same 'Penguin' that hired Deathstone?" Alfred's voice would have betrayed his skepticism had his face not shown it on the screen.

"It's too coincidental" Batman said as he drove down the road leading back into Gotham. "All three of the kidnappings occurred at roughly the same time as Deathstone's murder attempts. I think they were decoys."

"But those were real murders he tried to commit" Katana reminded them. "He actually succeeded in one of them"

"Can you think of a better way, to get the attention of a crime-fighter?" Katana jumped as a voice whispered softly right behind her.

"Would you _please_ stop doing that?" She growled, spinning around to face the Question's featureless face.

"Why? That would be like asking you not to carry a sword around, swordswoman" The Question replied, before gazing around the cave. "Nice pad, by the way"

"Question, focus" Batman glared from the main computer screen.

"Ah yes, sorry" The theorist rubbed his chin.

"It would also explain why we couldn't find a connection between Deathstone's victims." Alfred added, rolling his eyes. "There _was_ no real connection."

"Agreed" Batman's eyes narrowed as he spoke. "Deathstone's targets were probably chosen at random. Creating just enough chaos to keep us occupied while Penguin made his real move"

"Makes sense" The Question rubbed his chin. "Lure the parent off the nest, then swipe the eggs before they return. A two-pronged strategy, kind of like how Two-Face operated, remember?"

"Only _too_ well" Batman replied and the Question shrugged his shoulders.

"But that doesn't explain _why_ Penguin would want to kidnap teenagers in the first place." Alfred said.

"I have a theory as to why" The Question said.

Alfred raised an eyebrow. "Care to fill us in?"

"Well, it's rather obvious, isn't it?" The Question leaned against one of the railings. "Why kidnap a magician?"

Alfred, Katana, and even Batman, were silent.

The Question groaned. "For their abilities, duh! I've heard of Zatanna and she's very good at what she does, maybe a little _too_ good"

"Okay, so that explains Zatanna" Katana said, pulling up pictures of the three victims. "But what about the other two? They don't have any extraordinary abilities"

The Question turned to look at her. "Are you sure?" He asked, tilting his head.

Katana frowned. "Of course I'm sure!" Then she turned to Alfred. "Aren't I?"

Alfred turned to look at Batman. "You think it could be possible?" He asked.

"Unknown" Batman said. "But the Question raises a good point. Zatara mentioned that his daughter's skills as a magician may surpass even his, and he's supposedly the best in the world. He seems to believe his daughter channels real magic into her performances"

"Real Magic?" Katana raised an eyebrow. "Meaning more than just card tricks and mirrors?"

"According to her father, yes." Batman said as he made a sharp turn. "And in the wrong hands, that power, no matter how small, can be dangerous"

"But what about the other teens?" Katana scratched her head. "What's so special about them?"

"A good question." Batman swerved off the main road. "Alfred, contact Oracle, see if she can dig up anything on Hank Hall and Dawn Granger"

Alfred and Katana exchanged a look. "That...may be a problem"

"What do you mean?"

"Bar-I mean Oracle's gone off the grid" Alfred explained. "We haven't had contact with her for a few hours now."

"Then try again"

"I've tried contacting her several times. "Alfred said. "No answer"

Batman frowned. "Keep trying Alfred. We need to know where she is. Katana, hit the streets and see if you can find Zucco's circus goons, if we find them, maybe we can find where the missing teens are. Question, I'm told you're good at research, see if you can find anything on the other kidnapped teens."

All three people nodded as Batman cut the feed. "Computer, scan for the signal from Barbara's phone. Pinpoint it's exact location"

" _I have already tried that Batman, but I am unable to locate her. It would appear the signal from Barbara's phone has somehow been cloaked_ " The computer responded.

"Cloaked?" Batman repeated, then sighed. "Barbara, what are you up to?"

* * *

"What exactly are you up to, Oracle?" Richard Dragon asked as the three of them stood on the edge of a rooftop. Oracle was typing something into her phone.

"Yeah, we've been hanging here for over an hour" Robin glanced up from his agitated pacing behind them.

"Patience Robin." Oracle said, trying to hide her smile. "Good things come to those who wait"

"And what exactly is this thing we are waiting for?" Dragon asked.

"Not what" Oracle tapped her phone, and then help up the screen for the others to see. "Who" On the screen was a picture of a thin man with long red hair pulled back in a ponytail.

Dragon raised an eyebrow. Robin peered closer at the image. "Is he one of Zucco's goons?" His face suddenly lit up. "Are we gonna take him out? Oh, I could _totally_ kick his butt alone!"

"No Robin!" Oracle said, taking back her phone and rising to her feet. "We aren't taking him out. We're just going to talk to him, or rather, _I'm_ just going to talk to him. _You both_ are just going to stand there and look tough."

"Who exactly is this man?" Dragon asked.

"He's called the Fox, and he's one of the most well connected informants around. Anyone pulls a job anywhere in Gotham, he usually knows something about it" Oracle answered

"And you think he can lead us to Zucco?" Robin asked, still frowning about being scolded.

"That's my hope, yes" Oracle tapped her phone again. "The Fox stepped into that club an hour ago" She pointed to a lit sign across the street. "I've hacked into the club's security cameras, so I can see where he is. All we have to do is wait for him to come back out."

"But, if we know where he is, why can't we just go in there and talk to him now?" Robin asked.

Oracle tutted and looked at the boy. " _Because_ Robin, the security cameras _also_ show exactly 75 gangsters in that club as well, gangsters who I imagine will be _pretty_ ticked off if the three of us just barge in."

"So?" Robin's expression didn't change.

"So, I believe the only one of us who could take on 75 angry men at the same time is Dragon here" Oracle motioned to the man in black.

"And I would not be foolish enough to make such a move" Dragon nodded.

"And in the confusion, the Fox would slip away. He's pretty good at that" Oracle glanced back down at her phone. "Okay, he's leaving now. Here's the plan"

A few minutes later, a thin man with long red hair slipped out to the club's back entrance. He glanced around and started walking down the alley, only to stop as Red Robin landed in front of him.

"Not so fast buddy" He said, holding a bird-shaped batarang in each hand.

The man's eyes widened and he turned to run the other way, only to see Dragon standing right behind him. Before the man could react, Dragon grabbed him and painfully twisted the mans arms behind his back.

"Vhat is ze meaning of zis?" The man demanded in a thick accent.

"It's called an ambush, sucker." Robin growled, raising a fist. "Now let's talk!"

"Talk?" The man blinked. "Talk about vhat? I have nothing zat vould interest you!"

"Yeah right!" Robin grabbed the man's collar and raised a fist.

"Robin!" Robin froze as Oracle stepped out of the shadows. "What did I _just_ tell you? We're here to _talk_ to him, _not_ take him down!"

The man suddenly seemed to relax a little. "Ah, La Oracle" He said, smiling.

Oracle smiled back. "Bonjour, Monsieur Renard. I must apologize for my colleagues actions. They are both excellent fighters but lack the patience that we both have "

The man smiled. "So it vould seem. I take it zeese _muscle-heads_ vork for you, zen?"

Oracle shook her head. "No, they work for...upper management"

The man's eyes widened. "Oh, so zey are _his_ people"

"Yeah, that's right" Robin interrupted. "So don't try anything!"

The man burst out laughing. "Young man" He said when he was finished. "How long do you think _he_ vould allow me to stay free if I showed my fangs to _his_ people?" Turning to Oracle he said. "Now, how may I assist you?"

Oracle snorted and held up her phone, showing the picture of Zucco. "Tony Zucco, where is he?"

The fox's eyes seemed to dilate as he glanced at the picture, but almost instantly they were back to normal.

"I do not know" He said simply.

"Really?" Oracle asked. "You don't know?"

"I do not know" The Fox shoos his head.

"You don't have any idea where he is?"

"I do not"

"You have no idea how we can find him?" Oracle asked.

The Fox frowned. "I already told you, I do not know"

Oracle smiled. "You're lying" She snapped her fingers and Dragon began to painfully twist the fox's arm. In response to Robin;s puzzled glance, Oracle explained. "His eyes dilated when he saw the picture. He knows something alright"

The fox yelped and struggled to pull away. "Vhat is zis? Ow! OW! Stop zis at vonce!"

"You _know_ how to make him stop, Fox" Oracle crossed her arms as Dragon continued to twist.

Robin grinned. "I'd speak up if I were you. This guy's broken more men than you can count"

"Alright! Alright!" The Fox growled, and Dragon stopped, but did not release him. "Not zat I know anything, mind you!" He added.

"Of course not" Oracle nodded and Dragon released the Fox

"But, I have heard rumors" The Fox continued. "Zey say Monsieur Zucco is...how you say...laying down?"

Robin and Dragon looked at each other. But Oracle's smile widened. "I think you mean, laying _low_ "

The Fox smiled. "Oui, laying low. Even my senses, sharp as zey are, have been unable to sniff out his lair."

Robin groaned, but Oracle's face didn't change. "Is there anything you _can_ tell us about Zucco?" She fluttered her fingers against her skirt and Dragon cracked his knuckled threateningly.

"Oui, oui, yes" The Fox said, anxiously glancing from Dragon back to Oracle. "Zey say he has a new partner, a mysterious person. He calls himself Le Penguin"

"The Penguin?" Oracle's smile was replaced by a thoughtful frown. "That's the person that hired Deathstone."

"Oui, zere are many rumors about Le Penguin" The Fox nodded. "Though he is new in town, he has very big plans"

"Such as?" Oracle leaned forward.

"Hold on. I think we're getting off topic, here" Robin interrupted. "We're finding out about Zucco, remember?"

Oracle frowned at Robin, but she knew he was right. She tapped her phone, bringing up pictures of the Strongman and the others. "If you don't know where Zucco is, tell us how to find these people" She showed the Fox the pictures.

"Ah, yes, Zucco's circus brothers." The fox looked thoughtful for a moment. "Last I heard, zey were...how you say...rumbling down, parts of Old Gotham. You vill find zem zere."

"You mean _shaking_ down" Oracle corrected.

"Oui, shaking down" The Fox nodded. "Vas zere, anything else?" He glanced from one face to another.

Dragon and Robin looked at Oracle.

Oracle narrowed her eyes at Fox. Something wasn't right. Fox normally wasn't this cooperative. Still, his information was usually correct. "No, that's it. For now" She said. "But we'll be back if that changes"

The Fox's eyes widened. "Madame, you insult me! I have no reason to lie to you!"

"None that we know of" Oracle countered. Then she glanced towards the alley behind the man. "What's that?" She said.

The Fox whipped around to see that Dragon had disappeared. While he was distracted, Oracle and Robin darted into the shadows before he turned around.

"Sacre-bleu! Not a _gain_!" The Fox exclaimed when he discovered that he was now alone in the alley. "How does she _do_ that?" Growling, he stalked away down the alley.

On the rooftop above, Oracle, Dragon, and Robin watched him leave.

"Well, that went well" Robin said, smiling.

"Yeah, too well" Oracle frowned.

"What do you mean?" Dragon asked.

"The Fox isn't usually that cooperative. Even with the squeezing you put on him, he wouldn't spill that kind of info so easily" Oracle mused.

"You think he's setting us up for something?" Robin's eyes widened under his mask.

"Possibly" Orcale nodded. He turned to Robin. "You think you can follow the Fox without making a fool of yourself?"

Robin scowled as he realized Oracle was teasing him. "What do you think I am, stupid?"

"You tell me" Oracle smiled.

Robin's frown deepened and he opened his mouth to argue.

"Actually, I think it would be better if _I_ followed the Fox" Dragon interrupted.

"You?" Oracle looked surprised.

Dragon nodded. "If his information proves to be inaccurate, I know a few methods that will make him see the error of his ways"

Robin smiled, but Oracle looked disappointed.

"But how am I supposed to get to Old Gotham?" She asked.

"I can take you" Robin said. "By flying, I can get there much faster than he could anyway"

Oracle gave Robin a disbelieving look. " _Flying?_ With _you_?" Oracle felt like she would be safer fighting Killer Croc.

Robin sighed. "Look, I won't hurt you, I promise. But if we're going to work together, you're going to have to trust me"

Oracle groaned, but she could see that there was no other choice. "Fine, but if you drop me, you're dead meat." She growled.

Robin's smile widened into a smirk. "Only a fool would drop a lady like you" He said, winking at her.

Oracle felt her cheeks turn red. _Is he flirting with me?_ She wondered as she hopped onto the edge of the roof after him. To her surprise, a part of her enjoyed the comment.

"It is settled then. I will see you both later" Dragon nodded and turned to leave. The paused and glanced back at her. "I don't think I need to remind you to be careful with her, Little Guy"

"I will, Big Guy" Robin nodded.

Dragon nodded back, then ran to the other side of the roof and disappeared over the edge.

"Ready?" Robin asked, coming to stand beside Oracle.

"As I'll ever _beeeee_!" Oracle shrieked as Robin pushed her off the edge of the building before leaping off himself. Spreading the 'wings' of his costume, Robin reached out with his arms and caught Oracle as she plummeted towards the ground.

"Gotcha!" Robin angled his body and pressed the hidden button that made small jets in his boots ignite, shooting him up and away from the building. He adjusted his grip on Oracle, and carried her bridal style through the night air.

Oracle's breathing was ragged and her eyes were wide beneath her mask. For a few seconds she just stared at Robin, then glared at him and smacked him hard in the face.

"Ow! What was that for?" Robin exclaimed.

"You- _you pushed me off a building!_ " Oracle gasped, her voice half shock and half anger. "Who does that?"

"You can't fly if you never jump" Robin laughed at Oracle's thunderstruck look.

"That doesn't even make sense!" Oracle shrilled.

"If you want to go down, just say so" Robin smiled at her.

Oracle glanced down at the streets far below her and unconsciously threw her arms around Robin's heck. Finding herself practically nose to nose with Robin, she scowled at him, but was unable to stop the blush that appeared on her cheeks. "You're enjoying this, aren't you?" She growled through clenched teeth.

"What would give you that impression?" He chuckled as the two of them coasted between the buildings. "Don't worry, I've done this many times before"

"You _have_?" Oracle tilted her head.

"Oh yes, but none of my previous passengers were as 'delightful' as you are." Robin smiled at her.

Oracle felt herself blush again, despite her anger. "You're quite the charmer, aren't you?" She said teasingly.

"Now that I have you as a captive audience, I do" Robin's smile widened.

Oracle was about to reply when she heard the phone in her purse buzz. "Hold that thought, Romeo" She rolled her eyes under her mask as she pulled her phone out. She stared at the screen. "Silent Alarm has just been triggered at a bakery at the corner of Hunter and Blake."

"You get police alarms on your cell phone?" Robin looked impressed.

Oracle smirked. "One of the perks of being the commissioner's kid. Just don't tell my dad" Oracle glanced down at the screen again and her smile melted into a thoughtful frown. "Wait, that's in Old Gotham"

"The Fox did say that Zucco's brothers were in Old Gotham." Robin said. "You think this could be them?"

"Possibly" Oracle tapped her phone, pulling up a map of Gotham. "That way" She pointed to the right. "Quickly!"

"As you wish" Robin said. "Hold on!" He pressed the hidden button again and his jet boots roared, shooting them through the night. As Oracle tightly clutched Robin, she couldn't stop herself from smiling. She hated to admit it, but this was pretty cool.

* * *

"If those two get _any_ closer, I won't be able to tell them apart" Katana joked as she peered through binoculars at Robin and Oracle, disappearing into the distance. Chuckling to herself, Katana replaced her binoculars and leapt off the rooftop. Pulling a grapnel from her belt,she fired it to the roof of the next building and swung down to the alley below, where her motorcycle was waiting.

As Katana hopped onto her motorbike, her earpiece chimed. "I'm here" She said, pressing it.

"Report" Batman said simply.

Katana smiled. "You were right. She _is_ working with him. He's taking her towards Old Gotham, and I mean that quite literally. He's actually carrying her in his arms while he's flying"

"Really?" Alfred's voice broke in. "Swept her off her feet, did he?"

"More or less" Katana giggled.

"What feats is a lovestruck heart not able to rise or sink to?" The Question broke in.

"Huh?" Katana looked as puzzled as she felt.

"He cares for her" The Question said. "It _should_ be obvious"

"Not all of us have Apophenia, Question" Katana grinned as she considered the irony of her joke as she strapped on her helmet.

"Very funny" The Question replied. "It seems your mouth is as sharp as your namesake."

"Enough!" Batman cut through the banter. "Question, did you find out anything?"

"As a matter of fact, _yes_ , I did." The Question replied, somewhat boastful. "I didn't find anything more about the Strongman, but I ran a search of the other two associates using the perimeters matching all three of the Strongman's crimes and I found a match for each one."

In the Batcave, the Question and Alfred were examining the data on the computer screen. "It says here the Tamer was involved in the abduction of a young fashion designer from Zambezi named Mari Jiwe McCabi in Midway City five months ago. He snatched her right as she was leaving a fashion show." Alfred winced as a few pictures of the event came up on the screen, showing the Tamer with his whip wrapped around a pretty young African woman. "Bold, isn't he"

"Indeed" The Question typed a few keys and the image on the screen changed. "And our juggling friend was connected to the abduction of a young man from a science symposium in Germany last year. The man was called Benjamin Reyes" The picture of a young man with pale skin appeared on the screen. "According to Interpol, both teens are still missing."

"Still?" Katana was surprised as she drove down the road. "After all this time?"

"Indeed, and I'll give you one guess what person's face was seen on security cameras at both locations during both events" The Question said smugly. He tapped a key.

"Cobblepot" Batman growled as the bird-like man's face appeared on the Batmobile's screen. "So he _is_ behind this"

"He's gathering teenagers from all over." Alfred mused. "Clearly he's planning to use them for some sort of workforce"

"But what for?" Katana asked.

"And more importantly why _these_ teenagers?" Question added. "There's no obvious trait to exploited from them, unlike Zatanna."

"When we find the teens, we'll find out why they were taken" Batman said as he accelerated. "And I think I know where to start." With that, he cut the feed.

Suddenly, Batman saw a figure standing on the road ahead of him and braked hard. The Batmobile skidded to a stop, its headlights illuminating a tall man dressed in black.

"Richard Dragon" Batman said as he stepped out of his car.

"Batman" Dragon replied, nodding respectively.

"It's good to see you again, sensei" Batman strode forward until the two men were nose to nose. He bowed in respect.

"It's good to see you as well Bruce." The man replied, bowing back. "I see you have been recruiting somewhat"

"If you're referring to the Outsiders, than yes, I have." Batman replied.

"I am pleased to see that my fears for you have not come to pass"

"What fears?" Batman raised an eyebrow.

"When you studied with me, you were always so focused on the future, to the point that you tended to shut out the present." Dragon said. "I feared that you would become a recluse, a solitary man who allowed no one to see who he really was. It is nice to see that you are resisting that urge"

Batman stared at Dragon for a moment. "Actually, there was once a time I _did_ do that. But I'm beginning to see that was a bad call."

Dragon nodded. "It is a sign of wisdom to recognize ones flaws early on. You were one of the finest students I had ever taught" He placed a hand on Batman's shoulder. "But you need to realize that a good student, and warrior, is one who never stops learning, even when he believes he has learned all he needs to know"

"I'm learning that already" Batman's lips curled up into a faint smile. "Any word on Oracle's progress?"

Dragon sighed. "It's clear that she and Grayson fancy each other, but, while he is clearly displaying his true feelings, for some reason she seems afraid to admit hers. It's like she has part of her admiration for him."

"That's not surprising." Batman nodded. "Considering what happened between them earlier"

Dragon nodded. "I suspect they'll come around, given time"

"And she still has no idea as to the _real_ reason I paired her with Robin?" Batman asked.

Dragon shook his head. "As far as I can tell, no"

"Good" Batman turned back towards his car. "Let's try to keep it that way until the mission is over." He paused and turned back to Richard. "Where are they now?"

"Heading towards Old Gotham" Dragon replied.

"I'm heading in that direction as well." Batman tilted his head towards his car. "Can I offer you a lift?"

* * *

 **And Cut!**

 **Whew! This took a few revisions. But It was worth it! As always, thanks to Superfan 44 for providing both direction and inspiration.**

 **For those of you who don't know what Apophenia is, it is the tendency to make connections based on little or no available data. Usually these connections are not widely believed. The Question from the JLU anime was well known for this style of thinking. He was teased about it by the Huntress in one episode.**

 **Speaking of which, who thinks that there may be chemistry between Question and Katana. They would make an interesting pair, would they not? And speaking of chemistry, it looks like Barbara and Richard are falling for each other again! And what is the _real_ reason why Batman made Oracle stick with Robin? Could he actually _approve_ of this relationship? (Shudders at the thought)**

 **All this and more may be answered next chapter, so don't go anywhere!**

 **Until next time!**


	15. Chapter 15

Tang Ri Shan

 **Red Wings**

 **(This is a sequel to Beware the Batman: Conundrum. I suggest reading that story if you have not done so already** **)**

Chapter 15

"C'mon, hurry up!" The elderly couple behind the counter winced as the man's words were followed by the snapping of a whip. The man glanced helplessly at his wife as he finished emptying the contents of the cash register into a paper bag. He handed the bag to the strongman, who smirked at the loot. Behind him, the Juggler was juggling three wads of cash, while the Tamer watched the door.

As the Strongman picked up the bag of money, his eyes wandered over the display case under the counter and rested on some jelly-filled pastries. Licking his lips, he strode over to the counter. "And gimmie some of those" He ordered, pointing at the pastries.

* * *

"Yep, it's definitely them" Oracle whispered, peering through her binoculars from their vantage point across the street.

" _Now_ can we jump them?" Robin asked, trying in vain to keep from fidgeting.

"There's three of them and two of us" Oracle said, hiding her smile. "Not to mention that elderly couple. I wouldn't put it past one of those guys to turn at least one of them into a hostage."

"Good point" Robin admitted. "But we have to do something"

"And I would love to just walk in there and thrash them" Oracle nodded. "But the odds are stacked against us right now. We need the proper opportunity, so we wait"

Robin sighed. "Fine" A few seconds passed, then he said. "We waited" With that, he leapt over the parked car they were hiding behind and dashed towards the bakery.

"Robin, no!" Oracle called out, but it was too late.

* * *

 _Now I'll show Barbara just how good I really am!_ Robin thought to himself as he burst through the door of the bakery. The little bell dinged and the three circus cons started to turn around.

Capitalizing on the element of surprise, he catapulted into the Juggler, hearing a loud report as his kneecap collided with the crook's head. The little man cried out as he was flung onto a nearby table, which turned over due to the impact and ended up on top of him.

As Robin whirled to face the other two, the Tamer snapped his whip and lashed out at him, but Robin moved his arm so the tip coiled around his wrist and then yanked backwards. The Tamer yelled as he was yanked off his feet and then groaned as Robin clobbered him in the jaw.

As the Tamer sank to the floor, the Strongman growled and charged towards him, one hand curled under his arm, the other one, encased in brass knuckles, raised to strike.

Robin smirked and leapt straight up. His circus training, combined with the tech in his boots, allowed him to jump several feet into the air. He saw the Strongman's eyes widen as his feet made contact with the man's face.

* * *

 _Are All boys this reckless?_ Oracle wondered as she crept into the store, watching with wide eyes as Robin pummeled the Strongman with a series of blows. _Then again these are Zucco's thugs._ She realized as she watched Robin dodge the Strongman's clumsy punch, grab the man's wrist and twist it hard, causing the crook to cry out in pain and drop the brass knuckled he has been carrying. _He's probably looking to blow off some steam._

Scanning the shop, Oracle's eyes met the eyes of the elderly couple. _Go! Go!_ Oracle mouthed at them, jerking her head towards the door. The man nodded at her and the two scurried towards the door. As Oracle watched them, he saw the Tamer suddenly regain consciousness. Seeing the elderly couple flee, he growled and lunged for them.

 _I don't think so, punk!_ Oracle frowned as she pulled a small item from her purse and darted in between the Tamer and the fleeing store-owners. The Tamer sneered as he took in Oracle's form. Grimacing in reply, Oracle darted forward, slamming the live end of her miniature taser against the Tamer's leg. The Tamer cried out as hundreds of volts of electricity surged through his body and he collapsed to the ground, his arms and legs twitching.

The sound of the Tamer's fall distracted the Strongman long enough for Robin to leap onto his back. From his new vantage point, he slammed his hands down on the Strongman's ears, causing him to roar in pain before swinging around to deliver a punishing blow to the man's jaw. He punched so hard the man literally spun in the air before crashing to the floor.

"Nice of you to join us" Robin said, smiling at Oracle.

Oracle was in no mood for humor. "What part of 'wait' did you not understand?" She said

"There are few elements in combat greater than the element of surprise" Robin countered, his smile fading.

"Well next time you should...LOOK OUT!" Oracle cried out as she saw the Strongman throw something into the air. A grenade, with a long tail of green gas trailing from it.

Oracle froze, but Robin reacted instantly. He pulled something from his belt and, darting forward, slapped it across Oracle's mouth and nose. Oracle jumped and tore at her face before she realized the thing on her face was a portable re-breather.

"Don't say I never did anything for you" Robin smiled, then he started coughing as the gas reached him.

"Robin!" Oracle cried out as she watched the boy sink to his knees. She started to take off the device, but Robin held out a hand and she stopped.

Robin coughed for a few more seconds, then suddenly stopped and began shaking his head. When he stopped, his eyes looked blank, like he was in a daze. "What-what's going on?"

"Robin! Are you okay?" Oracle called, but Robin didn't seem to hear her. Whirling, she moved to face the Strongman and the Juggler, who were wearing gas masks. The Strongman had the unconscious Tamer slung over one shoulder. "What did you do to him?"

The Juggler giggled. "Just helping make your boyfriend more manly"

"Yeah" The Strongman laughed. "We're makin' him fearless"

Oracle turned as Robin suddenly gasped on horror.

"How did...how did I get up here?" Robin gazed at the ground with a horrified expression.

Oracle raised an eyebrow. "Robin, what are you talking about?" She reached for him.

Robin looked at her and his face paled. "What? No! No, stay away from me!" He darted backwards away from her.

"Robin, what has gotten into you?" Oracle asked, but Robin suddenly began wobbling, like he was about to fall off of something.

"No! No! No, don't let me fall!" He yelled.

What is he talking about? "Robin! Get a grip! You're not going to fall!"

But as she spoke, Robin suddenly seemed to do just that, he fell on his side and gave a loud and drawn out scream of terror.

"Well well" Oracle whipped her head around as the Strongman laughed at Robin's antics. "Looks like the birdie boy is afraid of heights"

"Maybe next time he should look _before_ he leaps." The Juggler added and both men burst out laughing as they started heading for the door.

"Why you!" Oracle growled and rushed at the two. Flipping into the air, her feet connected with the Strongman's jaw in a devastating spinning kick. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw something shiny fall from the man's pocket and roll under a nearby table.

The Strongman staggered backwards, rubbing his jaw, then with lighting fast speed, her lashed out with his hand, striking Oracle in the side before she could dodge. Oracle cried out as she flew through the glass window of the store, shattering it, and landing on the street outside. Miraculously, she didn't land on any broken glass.

As she struggled to move, she could hear Robin still screaming about falling from inside the bakery. She lifted her head to see the two crooks walking out of the bakery carrying paper bags full of what she assumed was the money from the store.

Oracle tried to get to her feet, but groaned loudly as pain shot through her body.

The two men looked up. "No way, she's still kickin'?" The Juggler sounded surprised.

"Not for much longer" The Strongman smirked as she laid the still unconscious Tamer inside a white panel van that was parked outside the Bakery, then turned back towards Oracle, pounding his fists.

"You crazy, dummy? "The Juggler snapped "We ain't got time for that!" He pointed to his watch as if trying to make a point.

The Strongman looked at his watch, then glared at Oracle. "Fine. Next time" He snorted and turned away.

Oracle sighed with relief as the two men climbed into the van and drove away. Squinting against the pain, she was just able to work out the licence plate and memorize it.

Staggering to her feet, trying to ignore the pain in her side, Oracle limped back into the bakery. By this time, Robin had stopped screaming and was lying on the floor, shaking like an earthquake. His skin was pale and his stare was glassy. Oracle knelt down next to him and waved her hands in front of Robin's eyes, there was no reaction.

Oracle suddenly remembered something and approached one of the tables and carefully felt around under it. Her fingers clasped on something solid and she carefully pulled out a small metallic sphere. It looked like the gas grenade that the Strongman had thrown. Oracle carefully slipped it into her purse just as Robin suddenly groaned behind her.

"Ugghhh! What happened?" He rubbed his head, then looked up to see Oracle standing over him.

"They got away. That's what happened." She said. "They zapped you with some kind of gas and you started hallucinating"

Robin shuddered. "It felt so real. I...I was back at the circus, up where my parents did their trapeze act. Then, I saw what...what looked like my mother swinging towards me, but then she became all skeletal-like. Then, the next thing I knew, I was falling. I fell and fell, until I eventually woke up" Robin punched the ground in annoyance. "I can't believe I messed up, _again_!"

"Yeah well, I'd probably be hallucinating as well if you' hadn't save me with this" Oracle held out the re-breather. "Thanks"

"No problem." Robin said as he took it back and tucked it into his belt. "Just between us, I'd prefer you be safe rather than me"

Oracle smiled. "Is that true, or are you just flirting with me some more?"

Now Robin grinned. "A little of both" His eyes drifted down to Oracle's clothing. "Hey, you've got glass sticking out of your shirt."

Oracle slowly picked the sharp stuff out. "Yeah, getting thrown through a glass window can do that to a person" Oracle glanced over at the big hole in the store window. "I hope these guys have insurance"

"Yeah" Robin said, getting to his feet. "So, do we have a plan now?"

"Fortunately yes" Oracle rummaged around in her purse. "I managed to recognize the license plate number of their getaway van. I just have to type it into my search program and we..." Oracle paused, then frowned as she pulled her phone out. The casing was badly twisted and the screen was cracked so badly she could hardly read it. "Oh great." Oracle tapped the screen, then groaned in annoyance. "I must have landed on it when I was flung through the window. It's busted." Oracle thought for a moment. "I could call em dad to have him run the plate, he can use the police database, but that will take a while."

Robin smirked. "Well, lucky for you, my dear, I have a contingency plan"

"Oh?" Oracle raised an eyebrow.

"I popped a tracer on the Strongman when I tackled him." Robin gloated as he yanked a box from his belt. Flipping open a screen, he typed a few commands, then turned it to show Oracle a blinking red line moving through solid blue lines.

"Clever" Oracle smirked. She reached into her purse and pulled out the silver sphere. "I also got this. It's the same kind of gas grenade the Strongman used on us. Batman can analyze the gas inside of it, and we can find a way to counter it."

Robin shook his head. "We don't need Batman's help for that"

"We don't?" Oracle asked.

Robin turned to Oracle. "Do you trust me?" He asked.

"What?"

"Do you trust me?" Robin asked. again.

Oracle paused, then nodded. "Yes"

Robin grinned. "Then follow me. I know someone who can get that analyzed"

* * *

Commissioner James Gordon yawned and leaned back in his chair, stretching his arms. Sometimes he hated late nights at the office.

Sure, it was nice and quiet, but with all that had been happening the last few weeks, with Deathstone, and that winged vigilante Red Robin, Gordon couldn't help feeling on edge.

And to add to that, he had been hearing rumors from underworld informants that a new syndicate was moving in, one that was supposedly powerful enough to rival the League of Assassins in strength.

Gordon felt a small chill crawl down his back. He remembered the League of Assassins all _too_ well. Even with Ras' Al Ghul missing (he had not been seen since that business with the Ion Cortex), the League was still deadly. If there was a force out there that was just as powerful, and just as bad, he did not want it in his city.

"I don't like this" He mused as he picked up his pen and stared down at the form he was supposed to be filling out. "Something's about to happen. I can feel it" Gordon had been a cop for over twenty years and during that time, he had learned to trust his gut, and his gut was now telling him that something big was about to go down.

Gordon's thoughts were shattered by his desk phone ringing. He checked the caller ID, which read _unknown number_.

"Huh" He snorted. The mystery deepens. "Hello?" He answered.

"Commissioner Gordon?" A youthful female voice spoke through the phone.

Gordon's eyes widened. "Barbara, is that you?"

There was a pause at the other end of the line, then the voice spoke. "No commissioner, this is Oracle"

"Oracle?" That was that hacker that worked for Batman! "How did you get this number?"

"That's not important right now, just listen!" Gordon strained to hear the kid over a surprisingly loud amount of white noise. "Batman needs your help!"

"You'll have to speak up, I can barely hear you!" Gordon yelled into the receiver.

"One moment" Oracle's voice became muffled, almost like she was speaking to someone else. Gordon heard the words 'Wind' and 'Have to land'. He frowned, was Oracle on some kind of aircraft?

Gordon pressed the intercom button on his desk. "Officer Montoya, report to my office, right now!" He spoke into the mouthpiece.

A few moments later, an olive-skinned female officer entered the room. "You wanted to see me sir?"

"Yes" Gordon nodded at her, "I need you to contact Air Traffic Control at Gotham Airport, I need to know if their radar detected anything flying low over Gotham airspace within the last few minutes"

The officer's eyes widened. "May I ask why, sir?"

Gordon's eyes narrowed. "You can ask me _after_ you get me the info, I need it now!"

The officer nodded. "Yes sir" And disappeared, closing the door behind her.

"Commissioner?" Oracle's voice came back a moment later, much clearer. "Can you hear me?"

"I can now" Gordon said, turning to face the window. "So what can I do for you, Oracle?"

"Like I said, Batman needs your help." Oracle said. "He needs you to run a license plate number."

Gordon raised an eyebrow. "He wants a plate traced?"

"That's what I said" Oracle sounded tense, which put Gordon on edge.

"So why can't you do it?" Gordon couldn't help asking. "You're supposed to be his resident techie, aren't you?"

"If I could do it myself, I wouldn't be asking for help, _would I_? Oracle snapped.

Gordon's eyes widened. Something about that voice was familiar.

"Sorry about that" Oracle said a moment later. She sounded embarrassed. "I'm just...under a lot of strain right now."

"Aren't we all?" Gordon replied casually, but his mind was whirling. Where had he heard that speech pattern before? "So, any particular reason you need this plate traced?"

There was another pause. "I have reason to believe this particular vehicle may be connected with the disappearance of Dinah Lance" Oracle finally said.

Gordon's stiffened. "I see" He said, then paused for a moment. Reaching over to his phone cradle, he pressed a hidden switch. "Okay, let's have it"

There was a sigh of relief on the line, then Oracle read off the plate number. Gordon wrote it down. "Okay got it. I'll put it through the system and call you back when I..."

"NO!" Gordon paused at Oracle's outburst. "I mean, Batman wants this information given to him _directly_ , at Police Headquarters"

"He does?"

"Yes." Gordon heard another deeper voice on the end of the line. "Listen, I have to go. Just make sure you get that information to Batman, ASAP!" With that, Oracle hung up.

Gordon scratched her head. Then replaced the handset in its cradle, reached behind it and pressed a switch, then a button. A tiny compartment in the cradle opened, exposing a roll of recording tape.

Taking both the tape and the plate number, Gordon left his office. As he strode down the hallway, Officer Montoya caught up with him.

"Just got word from ATC sir. They report nothing unusual" She reported.

"Good" Gordon said without looking at her.

"Sir?" Officer Montoya's tone made him pause. He turned to see her staring at him with a worried look on her face. "Is something wrong? You look like something's bothering you"

Gordon sighed, Montoya was one of the youngest, but brightest cops on the force. One of the things that made her so good at her job was that she was good at reading people. Even Gordon found it difficult to hide things from her. "I've got this...feeling." He admitted. "Something big's about to go down, I just know it"

Officer Montoya's eyes widened, but her expression didn't change. "Whatever you say sir. Anything else I can do?"

"Actually yes" Gordon held out the piece of paper with the license plate on it. "Run this plate through the database, see if you can find a match. Check traffic cameras for current locality of the vehicle. And get me the results as soon as possible. I'll be in the tech department"

"Yes sir" Officer Montoya took the paper and dashed away. Gordon watched her go, then proceeded to elevators. He rode one down into the basement of the building.

In the lowermost level, he walked down a dimly-lit corridor and knocked on a door near the middle of the hallway.

A dark-skinned man with receding hair looked up as he entered. "Commissioner, what brings you down here?" He asked.

"Tell me Ethan, has your new tracing software been tested yet?" Gordon asked

The man slowly raised an eyebrow "No, not yet. I've been looking for a suitable test scenario for a little while"

"Well, now you've got one" Gordon help up the recording tape from his phone. "I need a voice identified."

* * *

"Are you serious?" Oracle gasped as she stared up at Kane Manor.

"Of course" Robin said as he folded up his 'wings'. "I need to re-tool, and you need to get that gas analyzed. We can do both here"

Oracle shook her head as she watched Robin stroll up to the back door. "But breaking into your own house? Isn't that kinda...extreme?"

"Says the Commish's kid?" Robin joked as he lifted up a rock by the back door and fished a key out. Oracle frowned.

"Besides, we're not breaking in" Robin added as he unlocked the door. "I have the key right here"

"But what is someone _sees_ us?" Oracle whispered as they entered the darkened kitchen and Robin closed the door behind him.

"Who's going to see us?" Robin asked, not even bothering to keep his voice down.

"The maid for starters" Oracle hissed at him. "Or Miss Kane."

"Miss Alice isn't here. Tonight is her night off" Robin explained. "And as for Kathy..." Robin paused and rubbed his head.

"What?" Oracle asked. She could tell Robin was hiding something from her. "What about Miss Kane?"

"Yes" Oracle jumped as the overhead lights suddenly snapped on. She whirled around to see Miss Kane standing by the doorway in a silver robe. One hand was on the light switch, the other was resting on a bulge in her robe pocket. "What _about_ me?"

Oracle gasped at the dark look in the woman's eyes, but Robin stepped forward without any show of fear. "Relax Kathy. it's me"

Miss Kane blinked, then her frown melted into a smile. "Richard, darling!" She exclaimed and strode forward to hug him. "I wasn't expecting you back for a few hours"

"We ran into a...small obstacle" Robin confessed as he pulled his mask off, revealing a purple bruise on his face.

Miss Kane raised a pretty eyebrow. "So I can see" She tutted, shaking her head"Dear, dear Richard. You really should be more careful. You know that makeup, wonderful as it is, can only cover so much"

"I'll be careful" Richard smiled up at her.

Oracle was stunned as she watched them embrace again. _Miss Kane knows that Richard Grayson is Red Robin?_ She thought. _And she doesn't seem the least bit bothered by it!_

Miss Kane suddenly noticed Oracle standing there and her smile widened further. "Ah, and I see you brought company back with you" She purred, then giggled. "Judging from the look on your face, darling, I'm guessing Richard had not yet revealed our little family secret to you"

Oracle shook her head, her mind still reeling over what she had just witnessed. A surge of emotions rang through her mind. Shock, confusion, anger, and a little bit of envy.

"Well, it appears the cat is out of the bag" Kathy giggled again. "So, what do you think?"

"You..." Oracle finally found her voice. "You know about Richard?"

"Of course I do" Kathy smiled, then leaned forward. "Just like I know about you, Miss Barbara Gordon" She said, her eyes narrowing at the last three words.

* * *

 **And Cut!**

 **Wow! Shocking Plot Twist! Miss Kane knows about Barbara, and it looks like Commissioner Gordon may be on the verge of knowing as well! How will he react when he learns Barbara's secret? Will Barbara and Richard be able to stand up against the Scarecrow's fear gas? And when will we see them meet the Birds of Prey?**

 **All this and more may be revealed in the next chapter! So Stay Tuned!**

 **As always, thanks to Superfan 44 for the motivation and guidance (especially on this chapter!)**

 **Until Next Time!**


	16. Chapter 16

Tang Ri Shan

 **Red Wings**

 **(This is a sequel to Beware the Batman: Conundrum. I suggest reading that story if you have not done so already** **)**

Chapter 16

Barbara's jaw hit the floor. "You...you know?" She gasped.

Kathy Kane nodded.

"B-but how did you find out?" Barbara stammered. She glared angrily at Richard, who backed away with his hands out.

"Hey, don't look at me!" He said.

"He had nothing to do with it, darling" Kathy placed a hand on Barbara's shoulder. "I found out the old fashioned way, through hard investigative work. Your boss isn't the only person in Gotham with deep pockets and a high IQ, you know" Kathy winked as she spoke.

Barbara's eyes widened even further under her mask. "You know about Br...!" Barbara broke off Kathy shook her head warningly, glancing at Richard, who had turned away from them. "You know about _him_ too?" Barbara whispered.

Kathy smiled and nodded. Leaning down, she whispered. "Just between you and me, He's not as good at hiding his identity as he thinks he is. With or without the mask, his attitude is pretty much the same, wouldn't you agree?"

Barbara giggled. "Very true"

"So" Kathy straightened up, her hands on her hips. "What can I do for you, darling? Unless it isn't crime-fighting related business that brings you here?" She asked, with a playful hint in her voice.

Barbara stared up at her, then realizing what she meant, flushed scarlet. "No! Nothing like that!" She gasped.

Kathy gave a dramatic sigh. "Pity"

"Oracle has something for you" Richard said. Seeing Barbara's confused look, he groaned. "The sphere. Show it to her"

"Oh, right" Barbara reached into her purse and pulled out the silver sphere. "We found some of Zucco's thugs hassling a bakery, and when we tried to stop them one of them threw this at us"

"Zucco" Kathy's face grew hard. "Heaven curse the day that man came into being"

"You don't like him either?" Barbara asked.

Kathy sighed. "Richard's told you about what Zucco did to his parents?" Barbara nodded. "Well, Zucco and I have history as well. Not as violent as what happened to Richard, but bad enough for me to hate that man's guts"

Barbara took a moment to digest this before continuing. "Anyway, this sphere burst open and some strange green gas came out. Robin, I mean, Richard managed to save me from the effects with a re-breather, but he got hit with the gas and suddenly he seemed to be hallucinating."

"Hallucinating?" Kathy glanced at Richard, who looked grim.

"I thought I was back at the circus" He said quietly. "I was up on the beams, where the trapeezes were. I saw..." He paused, and when he looked up his eyes were wet. "I saw my mom"

Kathy's face softened and she threw her arms around him. "Oh darling!"

"It...It all seemed so real" Richard sobbed into Kathy's shoulder. "My mother's face was there, just as I remembered her, and then...it suddenly changed. It was all skeletal, like a zombie. And her voice, she asked me to go with her. The next thing I knew I was falling, and I kept falling down and down until I woke up inside the Bakery"

"Oh Richard!" Kathy cried out, hugging him tighter. Richard didn't try to resist.

Barbara felt a little awkward by the emotion she was seeing. My dad never does that to me! She thought as she watched the two cry together. Eventually, Barbara cleared her throat and the two broke apart. "Somehow that gas forced Richard to experience this. It's pretty powerful stuff. We need to be ready for it when we go up against Zucco again"

Kathy's eyes traveled from Richard to Barbara. She looked worried. "I don't suppose a stern talk about the ethics of vengeance is going to sway either of you?" She asked.

Barbara shook her head, as did Richard. Kathy sighed. "I didn't think so"

"Kathy, I have to do this" Richard said. "This could be my one chance to take Zucco down"

"And Zucco's thugs have kidnapped one of my friends." Barbara added. "I have to get her back."

Kathy nodded. "Yes, I heard about Dinah" She huffed sadly. "Such a senseless tragedy" Kathy placed a hand on Richard's shoulder. "I understand you have to do this Richard, just promise me that 'taking him down' does not become a _literal_ task, okay? I nearly lost my mind after my husband's death, I do not want you losing yours"

Richard gave a small smile. "That's why I have Oracle with me" He gestured to Barbara. "To keep me sane"

Barbara snorted. "Oh, so I'm your therapist now?"

"Among other things" Richard smiled at her, which made Barbara blush slightly.

"Anyway, if Zucco's thugs have access to this 'fear gas', we'll probably encounter it again. We need a way to counter it." Barbara turned to Kathy. "Richard said you may be able to help us with that"

Kathy frowned as she studied the sphere in her hand. "Well, unlike your boss, I don't have easy access to a laboratory, especially at this hour. But I do know some people who are...academically-inclined who owe me favors" Kathy winked at Barbara, who giggled again. "I'll make some calls in the morning. In the meantime, I'll see what I can do on my own"

"Good, then we'll re-tool and head back out" Richard started to leave the room.

"Oh no you won't" Kathy's voice stopped him. "Not without filling up first. You did miss dinner"

Barbara was suddenly aware of how hungry she was and eagerly nodded.

Richard sighed "Fine, but make it quick"

* * *

"Sir, the Bat-signal has appeared" Alfred's face appeared on the screen in the Batmobile.

"I see it" Batman replied, quickly shifting lanes. "Have Katana on standby."

"Yes sir. I'm sending her your way" Alfred's face faded out on the screen.

"A bat-shaped signal" Dragon chuckled as he gazed at the spotlight shining on the clouds above. "It seems you do have an ego after all."

"I keep telling the commissioner to use email, but he seems to prefer this method." Batman said.

"Of course he does" Dragon responded as Batman parked his car a block or so from the police station.

Using grapnels, the two flew up to the roof of the building, where they found Commissioner Gordon standing by the lit signal, with a file in his hands.

"Wait here" Batman ordered, then hopped over the roof wall and approached the commissioner.

Dragon darted over the wall and hugged the shadows at its base.

"What is it, commissioner?" Batman asked, causing the man to look up.

"I got the info you wanted on that license plate" Gordon replied, opening a file he was holding.

"What license plate?" Batman raised an eyebrow.

"The one that Oracle had me look up for you" Gordon replied, flipping through some papers in the file.

"Oracle asked you to do that? When?" Batman asked.

Gordon looked up from the file. "About 40 minutes ago. She said you wanted her to trace a license plate number but that she couldn't do it herself, so you told her to call me. She said that I was to give it to you directly when I had the number traced."

"I gave her no such task" Batman said.

Now Gordon raised an eyebrow. "You didn't?"

"Not even if I had wanted to. I haven't seen, or been in contact with Oracle, for most of the night" Batman said, his eyes narrowing.

"So she was lying" Gordon said.

"Not exactly" Dragon said as he stepped into view, making Gordon start. "I believe Oracle is trying to solve something without involving the rest of us in it"

"I told you to wait" Batman snapped, raising a hand as he saw Gordon go for his holster.

"You were going to have to introduce me to your friend at some point, Batman" Dragon replied calmly. "May as well be now"

"Who's this?" Gordon asked, looking over the ninja garb. "He looks like a League of Assassin's hood"

"I assure you, I am nothing of the sort. Call me Dragon" Dragon bowed formally. "I am an associate of Batman's. With all that is happening, Batman summoned me to offer what assistance I can."

Gordon scowled. "So I was right. Something's about to go down, is it?" He looked at Batman, who nodded.

"Yes, but we can talk about that later. What did you find out about this plate?" Batman asked.

Gordon met his gaze for a second, than looked back at the file. "It belongs to a white panel van. The vehicle was rented by Waldo E. Stopbbloc a month or so ago. Interestingly, the rental company reported that the van had been wrecked last week. Waldo paid off the damage fee and that closed the issue." Gordon continued, holding out a traffic camera photograph of the vehicle. "Doesn't look wrecked to me"

"No, It doesn't" Batman agreed, glancing at Dragon.

The martial artist nodded. "I think this confirms your belief on Oswald Cobblepot"

"The businessman?" Gordon raised an eyebrow. "What's he got to do with this?"

"Waldo E. Stopbbloc is an anagram of Oswald Cobblepot" Batman explained.

"I thought that name sounded funny" Gordon commented, then his face suddenly became hard.

"What is it?" Dragon asked.

"When Oracle contacted me, she said she thought the van had been used in the kidnapping of Dinah Lance" Gordon said. "The eyewitness statements pointed to Zucco's men, but if the van belongs to Cobblepot..."

"Then he's the person we're really after. Listen carefully Commissioner, here's what I need you to do" Batman said.

"Hold on! Do I look like one of your lackeys?" Gordon countered.

"No. I don't have lackeys, only partners and friends, friends that I trust with my life. After what happened with the Ion Cortex, I consider both you, and your daughter, on that list of friends, James Gordon"

For a moment, there was silence, then Gordon nodded. "Alright, what do you need?"

"I need your officers to keep a discreet eye on activity in the Iceberg Lounge"

"That nightclub that's just about to open up? Why?"

"Because Cobblepot owns the Iceberg Lounge, and when it comes to him, I think stealing vehicles is just the tip of the iceberg, pun intended"

Gordon frowned. "Oracle said she believed this van was used in the abduction of Dinah Lance"

"I see. I'll have my units stake the place out."

"And make sure they're not seen. I need a list of everyone that enters and leaves. Pictures would also be useful." Batman instructed.

"Got it. Of course you realize that..." Gordon turned back around, but found himself alone. Batman and Dragon were gone. "Figures"

" _Commissioner, sir?_ " Gordon's personal radio squawked.

Gordon yanked the device from his belt. "Go ahead Ethan"

" _The vocal search program found a match on the Oracle_ " Ethan spoke from down in his lab.

"And? Who is it?"

" _I think you'd better come see for yourself sir_ " Gordon raised his eyebrow at how uneasy the techie sounded.

"Alright, I'm on my way" Gordon strode towards the roof door. He didn't know what was waiting for him down in the basement, but if Ethan was that nervous, chances are he wasn't going to like it.

* * *

"Oracle?" Barbara looked up from her laptop to see Richard standing in the doorway. "How's it coming?"

Barbara allowed herself to smile. "First off, you can call me Barbara, Richard. I'm not wearing my mask"

"Right, sorry" Richard said as he entered the room.

"And second, I've managed to lock down the tracer you planet on the Strongman." Barbara glanced at a red dot ghosting across her computer screen. "He's on the move now"

Richard looked at the screen over Barbara's shoulder. He frowned as the dot suddenly stopped moving. "He's stopped.

"I can see that" Barbara teased as she began typing on her keyboard. "The question is, where?" As Oracle typed, she asked "How's Kathy coming with the fear gas?"

"She says she's trying to figure out the compound the gas is made of. Once she knows that, she should be able to synthesize a counter-agent, but it will take a while"

A few seconds later, her laptop beeped and a name appeared on the screen.

"Crane Chemicals" Barbara read aloud. She frowned "Why does that sound so familiar?"

"You know the company?" Richard asked.

Barbara shook her head. "No, but I can find out" She cracked her knuckles and began typing. "Let's see." After a few minutes, she began reading aloud "Crane Chemicals was founded two years ago and is a storage and transportation company for dangerous and unstable chemicals. Chemicals that are often used by other companies are mixed and diluted by Crane Chemicals."

"You think there's any connection between Crane Chemicals and Zucco?" Richard asked.

"Checking, checking" Barbara mused, then she gasped. "Aha!"

"What?"

"I knew the name Crane sounded familiar" Barbara said, pulling up a picture of a tall thin man with red hair. "Crane Chemicals founder and CEO, Johnathan Crane. My dad once told me about this guy, he's been arrested before"

"For what?"

"Searching" Barbara typed away, and a few seconds later, another screen came up, this one of the police records.

"You can hack into the police database?" Richard's eyes widened.

"Commish's kid remember?" Barbara grinned smugly. "Thanks to my dad's predictable passwords, I can hack in any time I want. Let's see" Barbara scanned the list on the screen, then smiled. "Bingo"

She pulled up a window. "Johnathan Crane was a former professor of psychology at Gotham State University. His specialty was...fear and phobias" Barbara's eyes widened.

"Woah" said Richard.

"According to police reports, he was kicked out of the university when it was discovered that he was conducting fear-based experiments on his students" Barbara read on.

"And people say school is supposed to be good for you" Richard teased.

Barbara chuckled, but read on. "He was charged, but the D.A couldn't make the case stick, because many of the students he experimented on were too afraid to testify."

"Guess we now know where the the Strongman got that fear gas" Richard reasoned.

"Yeah, from an embittered scientist with excessive knowledge of how the mind works" Barbara shivered. "If Crane is working with Zucco, there's no telling what kind of chaos they could cause"

"We've gotta stop them" Richard said.

"But what about Dinah?" Barbara asked. "We haven't found her yet?"

"Well, who's to say we won't find her at Crane chemicals?" Richard asked.

"But why would Crane want someone like Dinah?" Barbara asked as she pulled her Oracle mask out of her purse.

"A guinea pig, maybe?" Richard proposed. "You said he had no problem experimenting on students"

Barbara's features darkened into a frown. She switched her glasses for her Oracle mask. "Let's go" She growled.

"But what about the gas?" Richard asked. "Kathy's not done yet."

"No time" Oracle said. "We'll just have to bring plenty of re-breathers with us"

Richard nodded. "Let's fly"

* * *

"Batman, I have a lock on the vehicle who matches the information you received from Commissioner James Gordon" The Batcomputer spoke up.

"Put the location onscreen" Batman ordered, and the computer did so.

"Crane Chemicals" Alfred read aloud. "A small chemical company with a warehouse near the Cauldron. That's where they're going"

"Did you say 'Crane'?" Man-Bat suddenly asked.

"Yes," Batman turned to the winged mutant. "You recognize the name"

"I'm not sure if it's the same person" said Man-Bat "But I did used to know a Johnathan Crane. He was a psychologist."

"I'm not liking this story already" Katana crossed her arms.

Man-Bat continued. "Crane's specialty was fear. He was obsessed with it. He wrote several papers in which he proclaimed fear to be the ultimate form of power. He theorized that if you could control someone's fear, you could control them."

"How charming" Question said sarcastically. Katana nodded in agreement.

"Crane, Zucco, and Cobblepot" Alfred mused. "I do _not_ like that combination"

"Nor do I" Batman types in a few keys and turned to face the Outsiders. "We need to take that cotillion down, now"

Behind Batman, a floor plan of Crane Chemicals appeared on the screen.

* * *

 **A few hours later:**

Oracle grunted a little as she dropped out of the vents and landed on a catwalk that ran the length of the large storage room.

Robin landed silently beside her. Despite her training, Oracle was nowhere near as physically adept as Robin was, and it made her feel a little jealous, but she buried that feeling deep down and scoped out the room below.

The room was dark except for a pool of light that shown on a table in the middle of the room. Two people were standing on opposite sides of it. On one side was a tall, gangly man with a shock of red hair. On the other side of the table was...

"Zucco" Robin growled, his hands clenching into fists as he glared at the gangster.

"Easy Robin" Oracle grabbed the boy's shoulder. "Don't do anything rash" Her eyes darted to the Circus Trio, Strongman, Juggler, and Tamer, who were lined up behind their boss.

Robin took a deep breath and smiled at Oracle. "Thanks"

"No problem" Oracle grinned back, then turned her attention down to the floor below. "If that guy's Zucco, than the other guy must be Crane" Oracle squinted at the gangley man. He seemed to be dressed in ragged and patched clothes.

"Nice outift" Robin joked.

Oracle giggled, then shushed Robin as the two men's voices floated up to them.

"All I'm sayin is, ya look like a hobo" Zucco said, while his men sniggered. "How do ya expect us to take ya seriously when ya dress like that, Crane?"

"How I dress is no concern of yours, you mismatched moron" Crane growled back. "And the name is Scarecrow"

"Don't you mean, 'scarecrow-chette?" The strongman laughed. "Get it? Crochette? 'cause of all them patches on his clothes" Zucco's men howled with laughter.

Oracle let out a soft giggle. "That's actually a good one" She admitted.

Robin tutted and kept silent.

"Why you ignorant ignoramus!" Crane yelled, grabbing a bundle from the table, which turned out to be a scarecrow mask. He jammed it onto his head, replacing his face with cloth with rips for eyes and a mouth. "I'll teach you to laugh at fear!" He cried as he leapt onto the table, one hand raised.

The laughter died instantly. "Ain't nothing funny about threatening my family, straw man." Zucco growled, raising his hands, each of which suddenly held a pair of throwing knives. "Why don't ya back off before we all see what yer really filled with?"

"Huh, maybe they'll just take each other out" Robin smiled.

Both men suddenly froze as a metal door near them began to slide up, revealing a group of figures outlined behind it.

"Or maybe not" Robin's smile faded.

"Good evening, Gentlemen" A harsh voice echoed through the space as a squat figure waddled his way into the light. "I trust we are getting along"

"Oh yeah, just swimmingly" Zucco growled sarcastically.

"Who's that?" Oracle whispered.

"Can't tell" Robin whispered back. "All I can clearly see is his big fat hat"

Oracle giggled and Robin smirked.

"I should hope so" The newcomer snapped as he waddled up to the table. He reached out and removed his hat. "After all, I did not go to all the trouble of gathering the both of you simply to watch you beat each other up"

Robin gasped out loud. "I know him!" He whispered.

"Shhh!" Oracle shushed him.

The Strongman suddenly glanced up towards them. Oracle and Robin froze. But the newcomer started speaking and the Strongman looked away.

"You wanna get us caught?" Oracle hissed.

"Sorry" Robin whispered back. "But I recognize that man. He's Oswald Cobblepot, the owner of that nightclub that's about to open up tomorrow."

"Scarecrow, is everything ready for the grand opening tomorrow?" Cobblepot turned to the ragged-looking villain.

"All is prepared, Penguin." Scarecrow replied. "The gas canisters are set and armed"

"I don't like the sound of that" Oracle whispered.

"Excellent" Penguin turned to Zucco. "Now Zucco, when everyone is inside, make sure that no one gets in or out."

Zucco snorted. "Don't you worry about me, Penguin. My boys and I know how to do out jobs"

"Oh I doubt that" Scarecrow jabbed. "Especially after what happened earlier tonight"

Zucco growled warningly, but the Penguin raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"

"Oh didn't you hear?" Scarecrow said smugly. "Zucco's 'boys', had a perfect opportunity to rub out two of Batman's allies earlier this evening adn they failed dismally"

Oracle and Red Robin looked at each other.

"Hey, that ain't true!" The Strongman yelled.

"Yeah, we zapped birdie boy with the gas and stomped that brainy chick good!" The Juggler added.

"But did you finish the job?" The penguin asked, his voice dangerous.

Zucco's men looked at each other. "Well, no. But we was in a hurry to..."

"Idiots!" Penguin snapped.

"Your ignorance risked putting the Batman hot on our trail" Scarecrow grinned triumphantly.

"Chill out Scarecrow, it's cool" Zucco soothed. "Batman don't know about you guys, remember? That's why you hired us, to keep the Bat occupied" Zucco smirked. "Besides, how's Batman gonna stop us? By this time tomorrow, Gotham City will be ours, to shake up, or shake down"

Oracle shuddered at the wicked grin that appeared on the Penguin's face. Scarecrow shook his head.

"Relax Scarecrow" Penguin chuckled. "Even if by some miracle Batman does learn about us, I am prepared for just such a scenario."

* * *

"I do not like the sound of that" Katana whispered as she and Batman peered out from behind some nearby pillars. She, Batman, Dragon, and Question had just sneaked into the building while Man-Bat and Metamorpho were watching the outside.

Batman said nothing he just motioned for her to be quiet.

"What do you mean by that?" Zucco asked.

Penguin shot the gangster a flat look. "Do you think I have merely been dallying while your boys have been busy? No, I have not" Penguin snapped his fingers and there was sudden movement behind him.

The figures, who had up till this point remained motionless in the shadowy garage door, now strode forward as a group.

Batman's eyes widened as the teens stepped into the light.

"I don't believe it" Katana gasped.

"Gentlemen, meet the Birds of Prey" Penguin crowed. "Zatanna, Vixen, Hawk, Dove, Condor, and their leader, Black Canary"

"DINAH!" A voice suddenly rang out.

* * *

Oracle clapped her hands over her mouth, but it was too late to block her outburst.

"Are you nuts?" Robin hissed, his eyes wide.

Everyone in the room looked up.

"Somebody's up there" Zucco growled.

"Indeed, but not for long" Penguin turned to the Birds. "Condor!" he pointed to the ceiling.

The pale boy nodded and raised his hands. A pair of metal wings extended from under his black jacket.

Oracle suddenly felt the platform they were hiding on groan and begin to shake. The boy drew his hands down and with a SNAP, the entire platform yanked away from the ceiling and fell towards the ground, Robin and Oracle included.

* * *

"Oracle and Robin!" Katana tensed while Batman's hand went towards his belt.

But before he could move, Penguin called out "Zatanna, catch them!"

The dark-haired woman stepped forward, pointed at the falling teens and said "Pots meht gnillaf won!"

Robin and Oracle were suddenly haloed in an aura of blue light and come to a halt in mid-air. They hung suspended like laundry on a clothes line.

"It's those kids from the bakery!" The Strongman exclaimed.

"You fools!" Scarecrow pointed at Zucco's men. "You lead Batman's allies right to us! It's only a matter of time before Batman himself shows up!"

"My birds of prey are more than capable of dealing with Batman" The Penguin said. "As for these two..." He lifted the umbrella he was carrying and pointed the tip at them.

Batman signaled to Katana and Dragon, who nodded and separated to flank them.

"Laugh all you want to, Cobblepot. Batman will be here any second!" Oracle shouted

Penguin laughed, which sounded more like a gobble than a chuckle. "Good! Let him come! I await the challenge" He pressed a hidden button on his umbrella and the tip suddenly extended into a sharp blade. "But first, I'm going to skewer the two of you...Wahhh!"

Penguin cried out as a whirring metallic projectile whizzed past his ear and sank into his umbrella, let out a series of beeps and then blew up.

"Awk!" Penguin threw away his now smoking umbrella and turned to see where the device had come from.

"Why pick on the small fry, Cobblepot..." Batman said as he emerged from hiding, "When you can deal with the big fish now"

"Batman" Penguin grinned and snapped his fingers. His Birds of Prey moved in between the two men. Assuming fighting positions, they glared at Batman with strangely blank eyes.

Scarecrow took a step back, before clenching his fists.

Zucco growled and started forwards, throwing knives at the ready. His circus brothers tensed behind him.

"Batman!" Oracle cried out, relief in her voice clear.

"You disappoint me Oracle." Batman scolded. "Not only did you disobey my orders, you allowed yourself to get captured right off the bat. I thought we trained you better than that." Batman watched out of the corner of his eye as Dragon, Question, and Katana moved into position behind Zucco's thugs.

Oracle's smile faded. "Hey, you told me to 'keep an eye' on Robin, and that's exactly what I did" She protested. "You never said anything about stopping him"

"We'll talk about this later" Batman growled up at her.

"There _is_ no later for you, Batman" Penguin growled.

"I disagree" Batman pressed a button on his belt to summon Man-Bat and Metamorpho, at the same time he nodded at his other partners, who sprang into action.

Question threw a chunk of pseudo-metal at the Strongman. "Hey! What the...?" He shouted as bands of metal suddenly wrapped around his arms, pinning them to his sides. Before he could finish speaking, Question lunged forward and jabbed at him with a taser. "AAARRRRGGHHH!" he screamed and collapsed to the ground.

Dragon lunged at the Juggler, who had just turned around. The little man's eyes widened as the Dragon unleashed a series of jabs at distinct pressure points on the Juggler's body. The man didn't even cry out, he just slumped to the floor, stumped and paralyzed.

Katana unsheathed her sword and lunged at the Tamer just as the man raised his whip. Her blade cut through the tough leather like butter. "Try another weapon" Katana smiled at the man as he stared in disbelief at his ruined whip before delivering a savage kick to the man's jaw to knock him out.

All this happened in the time it took the others to turn around. "Why you little...!" Zucco growled and whipped his arms forward. Four metal blades shot from his fingers towards them, but the three Outsiders dodged them all with ease.

Penguin grinned. "Ah, the good old sneak attack" He chuckled. "Oh, yes. I like the way you think, Batman"

"Thanks, but I don't need your approval" Batman nodded.

"Don't think your little stunt has gained you anything, Batman" Penguin gloated. "I've spent months preparing for this moment. Before this night is through, Gotham City will belong...to the Penguin!"

"Don't bet on it, Birdman" Katana raised her sword.

As if the prove her point, Man-Bat and Metamorpho suddenly crashed through two different windows, growling fiercely.

"Oh my!" Batman saw Scarecrow's eyes widen under his mask.

Penguin snorted and raised his hand. Condor pulled another umbrella from his jacket and tossed it to him. "Zatanna, keep those two occupied" Penguin ordered, nodding to Oracle and Robin. "The rest of you, teach our guests a lesson in manners! ATTACK!"

* * *

 **And Cut!**

 **This chapter took a little longer than I thought, but I'd say it was worth it.**

 **We're not quite at the climax yet, think of this as a prelude to the final battle. There are still a few more plot twists I plan to spring on you before this story ends, so hang on!**

 **Until next time!**


	17. Chapter 17

Tang Ri Shan

 **Red Wings**

 **(This is a sequel to Beware the Batman: Conundrum. I suggest reading that story if you have not done so already** **)**

Chapter 17

"ATTACK!" The Penguin's voice seemed to echo through the air.

Batman saw Dinah take a deep breath and let out a scream. He could literally see the sound waves leave the young girl's mouth and shoot towards him. Before he could react, they hit him, and Batman was knocked off his feet.

As he fell, Hawk, Dove, Vixen, and Condor surged forward, followed by Dinah, while Zatanna remained at Penguin's side, her gaze focused on her two captives.

 _I've got to get Robin and Oracle out of there!_ Batman thought, as he glanced at Dragon, catching the ninja's eye. Batman motioned towards Zatanna. Dragon nodded and darted away into the shadows.

Batman turned just in time to see one of Zucco's knives come towards him. He ducked, barely dodging the flying blade.

Dragon meanwhile, had pulled a blowgun from his belt. Lowering the scarf that covered his face, he crept around till he was behind Zatanna, took aim, and blew.

"Ow!" Zatanna yelped as the dart buried itself in her neck. She slapped at it, yanking it free, and upon seeing what it was, her eyes widened, then rolled upwards as she collapsed.

"Woah!" Robin and Oracle cried out as the magical aura holding them faded and they dropped to the ground.

"Oracle, Robin, secure Zatanna!" Batman yelled as he barely dodged a knife thrown by Zucco.

"Copy that!" Oracle leapt to her feet and raced over to the unmoving magician. "Robin, a little help here?"

"Right" Robin rushed over to help her and the two of them began dragging the magician towards a dark corner.

"Oh no you don't!" Penguin yelled, raising his umbrella.

Oracle grit her teeth. "Oh yes we _do_!" She cried before launching over the unconscious magician, spinning in midair, and delivering a devastating side kick that caught the Penguin in the chest.

"Awk!" The man squawked as he flew backwards.

"Wow!" Robin's eyes were wide. "When did you learn how to do that?"

"Commish's kid, remember?" Oracle smiled at him. "Plus self-defense training is one of the perks of working with Batman" She added as they lifted Zatanna up and dragged her to the side of the room.

"Is she okay?" Robin asked, nodding at Zatanna.

Setting her down, Oracle placed her fingers on Zatanna's throat, checking her pulse. "She's fine, it was only a sedative."

"Good, cause we need to get back in there" Robin turned back to the fray.

"No, wait!" Oracle stopped him. "We have to stay with her!"

"Why?"

"Think about it Robin" said Oracle "Zatanna is one of the strongest members of Penguins team. Her magic gives him a real advantage. We keep Zatanna away from him, we cut his power down"

"But Zucco..." Robin started to argue.

"Let Batman take care of him" Oracle pleaded. "Please Robin. I may know a few moves, but you're a better fighter than me. I need your help!"

Robin looked at Oracle, then turned to look at the fight raging behind him.

"Hold still, you flying rat!" Zucco cursed as another of his knives missed Batman by an inch.

"Not likely" Batman snorted as he threw a batarang. Zucco ducked at the last second and the projectile missed.

Batman gritted his teeth. Keeping one eye on Zucco, he quickly scanned the battlefield.

Condor was using his telekinetic abilities to hurl item after item at Man-Bat, preventing the mutant from getting close. Man-Bat screeched angrily as a flying chair hit him on the head, then lashed out, shredding the said chair and a table into slivers of wood with his claws.

Katana was dueling with Dove, who was holding a pair of iron pipes. Even with the metahuman's super-speed, Katana was holding her own, but Batman could see she was beginning to tire as Dove unleashed a barrage of super-fast blows.

Hawk and Metamorpho were hammering each other, but neither one seemed to be making a dent in the other. Hawk threw a punch, only for Memtamorpho to turn into a gas and Hawk's punch went right through him. Metamorpho slammed Hawk in the jaw with a stone fist, but the burly man just shook off the blow and returned the favor.

Vixen was now fighting Dragon. Batman winced as he saw the woman strike the martial artist with enough force to fling him across the room, but the man was back on his feet a moment later and charged back into the fray. He dodged Vixen's first strike, then struck back with a series of rapid blows to Vixen's arms. The woman gasped as her arms went limp, then growled and closed her eyes. Her teeth flashed and there was a faint glow coming from the bow tie she wore around her neck. The woman clenched her fists and smiled, before lunging at Dragon with surprising speed.

Dinah, aka Black Canary was now fighting Question. The two were exchanging martial arts moves and Batman had to admit the girl was good. She lashed out with a series of uppercuts that the Question was barely able to block. The question responded by sweeping Canary's legs out from under her, but the girl just back-flipped and landed on her feet. She drew in a deep breath, preparing to scream again, but before she could the Question flung something at her which exploded into a cloud of brown smoke, making Dinah choke and sink to her knees, tears streaming from her eyes.

Batman's gaze shifted back to his own fight, just in time to see another knife blade come shooting at him. Before he could move, a flash of red zipped past Batman and slapped the blade out of the air.

Batman turned to see Robin perched on a nearby crate, his hand raised. Leaping into the air, Robin threw several more red projectiles at Zucco. The projectiles screamed as they spun through the air.

Zucco narrowed his eyes and flipped backwards, but he wasn't quick enough. Two projectiles struck him in the chest and he fell hard to the ground.

"That felt good" Robin grinned.

"Robin, where is Oracle?" Batman demanded.

"Relax, she's keeping an eye on Zatanna" Robin said.

"You should stay with her!" Batman's eyes narrowed. "Leave Zucco to me!"

"Sorry Batman, but this is personal!" Robin answered

"Ya got that right" Zucco snorted, rising to his feet. "I'm gonna personally tear you apart!" He lunged at Robin, only to miss as the boy backflipped out of the way.

"Robin, stay out of this, leave Zucco to me!" Batman ordered, glaring at the boy.

Robin glared back as he dodged another attack. "Your suit doesn't give you barking rights over me!" He snapped. His eyes suddenly widened. "Hey look out!" He screamed.

At that instant, Batman felt someone jump on him from behind. Long thin arms wrapped around his neck. They were covered with patches.

 _The Scarecrow!_ Batman thought. One of scarecrow's hands flexed in front of Batman's face and a green mist seemed to seep from it.

"Don't breathe that in! It's fear gas!" Robin yelled. Reacting quickly, Batman grabbed Scarecrow's hand and spun away from the expanding gas cloud, flinging the thin man over his shoulder.

"Argh!" The scarecrow cried out as he landed on his back, hard.

"Stay down" Batman growled, leaning over the thin man, but a grunt made him look up just in time to see Robin knock Zucco to the ground.

The crook glared up at the masked teen, wiping blood from his lip. "Didn't your parents ever teach you any manners kid?" He growled.

Robin's widened, then narrowed and with a cry of rage he launched another punch at Zucco, but the man dodges it and responded with a savage hit to Robin's groin.

"Argh!" Robin cried out, recoiling from the blow, allowing Zucco to grab him and use a judo throw, sending the teen flying over his shoulder.

"If you're gonna play with the big boys kid, then you've gotta do better than that" Zucco taunted, pulling a pair of his knives from the ground. With a flourish, he threw them at the teen, who was just starting to rise.

Batman moved to intercept, but the boy recovered quickly and bent backwards, the knives sailing over him, missing his chest by inches.

Zucco roared a curse and reached for another knife, only to discover that he was out. He looked back up just in time to see a red-lined fist come flying at him.

WHAM! Robin's punch collided with the side of Zucco's face, sending the thug flying. He hit the ground, struggled to get up, then lay still.

"That was for my parents" Robin muttered darkly, rubbing his fist.

"Batman!" Batman looked up to see the Penguin standing on the loading dock, with the Scarecrow and all his birds around him, minus Zatanna, who was now being watched by Dragon.

"It's been a pleasure butting heads with you Batman, but it's over now" Said the Penguin.

"My thoughts exactly" Batman growled, reaching for a batarang.

"Uh uh uh" Penguin taunted, wagging his finger. "I'd hold back if I were you"

"Oh, and why is that?" Katana asked, raising her sword.

"Because if I lose, so does your little friend" Penguin sneered and stepped to the side, revealing a squirming Oracle being held tightly by Hawk and Condor

"Oracle!" Robin cried out.

"Oracle" Penguin's smile widened as he turned to his new captive. "So that's your name. Cute" He reached out and twisted a strand of Oracle's red hair.

"Hands off, creep!" Oracle snapped, struggling to break her captor's grip, but she couldn't.

"Oh, such spirit" Penguin smiled wickedly. "I'm going to enjoy breaking you"

"Do that and I'll break you!" Batman growled.

"And then we'll break what's left" Katana added. Man-Bat hissed and Metamorpho slammed his spike-ball fists together.

"I wouldn't be so trigger-happy if I were you" Penguin relied and a blade sprung out of his umbrella tip. Penguin held the blade up to the struggling girl's neck. Oracle froze and her gaze met Batman's

 _He means it!_ Batman realized and he held up his hands, signalling for the other Outsiders to back off. They complied.

"That's better" The Penguin smirked. "It's good to know you actually have some restraint. I hope you have a lot of it, for you see, I'm about to 'break ground' on my reign here as Gotham's new premiere crime boss, and I am not about to let a group of rag-tag heroes get in my way" Penguin's smile grew wider as he spoke. "So let me make this clear. Your little partner is going to be my guest until I have this city firmly in my grip. Should any of you make any foolish attempts to stop me, she'll be the one who pays the price."

"Don't listen to him Batman!" Oracle shouted.

Penguin whipped around and slammed the head of his umbrella against the side of Oracle's head. The girl slumped in her captor's hands, unconscious.

"Oracle!" Robin growled and started forward, only to be grabbed by Batman.

"Consider that a sample, Batman" Penguin sneered, knowing full well that he now had the upper hand.

"Sir, what about Zatanna and Zucco?" Hawk asked in a monotone voice.

Penguin'a eyes flickered from the magician and the crime boss, both unconscious on the ground, they were closer to Batman than they were to him. "Leave them" He said. "They're liabilities" With that he turned and strolled away with Scarecrow and the rest of his birds in tow.

Penguin paused at the door and turned back to him. "Remember Batman, _any_ attempt at all to thwart me, and your Oracle will answer for it!" He said, before stepping out of the building.

"No!" Robin started forwards, but Batman caught him by the wrist and yanked him around.

"What are you doing? We have to rescue Oracle!" Robin tugged against Batman. Through the steel doors there came a bright light followed by the sound of helicopters taking off.

"What do you mean _we_?" Katana asked.

"You're done, Richard Grayson" Batman growled, ripping off the teen's mask.

"Kathy Kane's ward?" The Question stroked his chin. "How interesting. I wonder if she knows about this"

"Leave her out of this!" Richard snapped at the faceless man before turning back to Batman. "Besides, we have bigger problems to deal with right now"

"No, _we_ don't" Batman corrected him, striding past him.

"Where are you going? We have to save Oracle!" Richard shouted

"Maybe you didn't hear me, there's no _we_ in this equation." Batman stopped and turned back to Robin. "This was your final test, and you failed it"

"Test?" Richard looked confused. "What test?"

"My test to see whether or not you truly had what it took to be a team player" Batman said. "I knew that Oracle had gone behind my back to get your help. I know because I suggested that she should"

"What?" Richard's eyes widened. "She never said that!"

"Because I didn't tell her that directly. I ordered her to stay with you, hinting that the two of you could work together to find Dinah and the other missing teens. And, unlike you, Oracle followed my orders exactly. That's why I trust her, and not you"

"But I..."

"I ordered you to stay with Oracle, you didn't. I ordered you to leave Zucco to me, but you fought him anyway. You let your desire for vengeance corrupt your thinking and now because of that, Oracle's life is in danger. You're as dangerous as the Penguin is"

"I...I'm sorry" Richard's face fell.

"It's a little late for apologies." Batman said, lifting Richard's face so the boy was looking him in the eye. "So let me make this loud and clear. There are no more chances. If I ever see this costume again, I will deliver you to Commissioner James Gordon myself, is that clear?"

Richard stared into Batman's eyes for a long moment. "Crystal" He finally said. He even sounded defeated, then turned and walked away. His shoulders slumped as he disappeared out the door.

"As much as I hate to agree with the kid on anything, shouldn't we be doing something about Oracle?" Metamorpho asked.

"What _can_ we do?" The Question argued. "With Penguin holding her hostage?"

"We can't just sit back and do nothing!" Katana argued, drawing her sword again

"But the Penguin will be expecting us to try to rescue her" Man-Bat countered.

"Man-Bat is right" Batman intervened. "Penguin's using Oracle as a shield, and with his Birds of Prey, he's just as strong as us. Fortunately for us, like every crook, Penguin made a mistake."

"And what would that be?" The Question asked, trailing after Batman

"Leaving one of his birds behind" Batman answered, approaching Dragon, who was still monitoring Zatanna.

"Ah" Metamorpho smiled. "I see. if Zatanna is as powerful as you say she is, Penguin's strength will be reduced without her."

"It's not just that" Batman said. "Penguin's control over the birds appears to be more complex than employer and employee. He's brainwashed them somehow, controlling them. We find out how, we can free the Birds of Prey from his thrall. Without his birds, Penguin will be easier to take down."

"Hmm, interesting" Man-Bat mused, stroking his chin.

"But what about Oracle?" Katana asked.

"I've got a plan to get her back" Batman said "But in the meantime we have a lot of work to do. Take her back to the cave."

Metamorpho nodded and picked up the slumbering magician.

Batman turned to Katana and was about so say something when he heard a ringing in his ear. "What is it Alfred?"

"You're being summoned, sir" Alfred said simply. "Gordon's turned on the signal"

"I'm on my way" Batman turned to Katana. "Gordon's calling. I'll go see what he wants, you help get Zatanna back to the cave. See what you can come up with, but keep an eye on her. I don't want her leaving the cave until she's cured, understood."

"Got it" Katana nodded, then Batman whirled and raced out of the room.

* * *

 **A half-hour later:**

Batman quickly found himself on the rooftop of Police Headquarters. Commissioner Gordon was alone, staring at the lit signal in the sky.

"What is it, commissioner?" Batman asked, striding out of the shadows.

Gordon slowly turned around, his mouth set in a firm scowl. He glared at Batman with such venom that the dark knight actually took a step back.

"Hello Batman" His voice was cold. "I was wondering if you could help me with something"

"What?"

"It seems that my daughter, Barbara, has disappeared." Gordon started walking towards him. Batman noticed that both the man's hands were clenched into fists. "I don't suppose you would know where she is, would you?"

Batman's face didn't change. "What makes you think _I_ would know where Barbara is?"

Gordon's eyes narrowed. "Because I just found out that she, and the hacker known as Oracle, are the same person, and I know Oracle works for you, so I'm gong to ask you one more time!" Gordon smoothly drew his gun from its holster and aimed it at Batman. "Where is my daughter?" He growled.

Batman didn't move, didn't speak. Gordon's glare sharpened and he took a step forward. "I'm not going to ask you again" He said.

"Commissioner, I need you to calm down, for your daughter's sake" Batman said.

Gordon's gaze narrowed further. "Give me one good reason why I shouldn't shoot you right now"

"Because Barbara's in trouble." Batman said. "And I'm the only chance you have of getting her back safely"

"And you expect me to _believe_ that?" Gordon snapped.

"Believe what you want, Gordon. But I think you know what will happen if you think with your heart, rather than with your head" Batman countered.

After a few tense seconds, Gordon's scowl wavered and he lowered his weapon. "You're right" He sighed.

"How did you find out?" Batman asked.

"I guess...I guess I've pretty much always suspected it." Gordon said, shouldering his weapon. "Ever since the incident with the Ion Cortex, I've learned that things aren't always what they appear to be. I remember that you used the password 'Oracle' for the Cortex, and then when I heard her code name for the first time, it just clicked."

"I see" Batman's jaw twitched.

Gordon didn't seem to notice, because he kept speaking. "But I wasn't sure about it until she called me earlier tonight about getting that plate traced. Barbara doesn't know that there's a gadget in my desk phone that lets me record conversations on it. One of our technicians has developed a program that can compare different snippets of speech, looking for matches. I compared Oracle's voice from the call against vocal samples we've gathered of Gotham's citizens.

"Clever" Batman raised an eyebrow.

"You can imagine my surprise when Barbara's name popped up. I had the technician repeat the test five times to make sure." Gordon shook his head. "I just don't understand. Why didn't you tell me?"

"It was Barbara's secret to tell, not mine" Batman answered

Gordon snorted. "And did you ever stop to think about how _I_ would feel about this?"

"Many times, Gordon, I assure you" Batman took a step forward. "But Barbara's skills as a hacker are very proficient. As you may remember, those skills helped save the entire city from the League of Assassins, and they've saved my life, and the lives of my teammates, on more than one occasion since then."

"Teammates?" Gordon raised an eyebrow. "I knew you had a partner Batman, but I never suspected you were a team player"

"A recent development." Batman said. "Ever since my encounter with Deathstroke, I've learned it pays not to work alone. To that end, I've built a team I call the 'Outsiders', Barbara is one of them."

"And how many people are on this 'team' of yours?" Gordon cocked his head.

"A few" Batman answered. "You already met most of them when we encountered Two-Face"

"I see" Gordon nodded. "And this 'team' is going to help us get Barbara back?"

"'Help _us_ '?" Batman countered

Gordon's eyes narrowed and his voice turned cold as he walked right up to Batman. "If you think you're going to keep me out of what's coming, think again. You saw how bad Harvey Dent was, and he was motivated by simple greed. I have a father's fury on my side, that, combined with my authority, would not bode well for you at all!"

For a moment, Batman just stood there, then he gave a small smile. "No, I imagine it won't"

"Once Barbara is safe, we will talk about this again in more detail, but right now, I'm trusting you have some sort of plan" Gordon said.

"As a matter of fact, I do, and if you want to contribute, listen carefully" Batman began explaining what he wanted Gordon to do.

* * *

 **Meanwhile, in the Batcave:**

 _"Warning! Warning! Unauthorized access detected!"_ The Batcomputer suddenly started beeping.

"What did you do?" Katana and Alfred rushed over to where Metamorpho had been leaning on the counter.

"I didn't do anything!" Metamorpho backed away, his hands in the air.

"It's not him" Alfred's fingers flew over the keyboard. "Someone's hacking into the Batcomputer's systems!"

"Is that even possible?" Katana's eyes widened

"I thought it wasn't, but clearly I was wrong" Alfred frowned. "Computer, isolate the signal and connect with the intruding source!" He ordered.

" _Connecting now"_ The computer replied. After a minute, a face appeared on the screen.

Alfred's eyes widened. "Miss Kathy Kane?" He gasped.

"Ah, Alfred Pennyworth. How long has it been?" Kathy Kane smiled at them.

"Ten years, at least" Alfred's frown was back. "I'm afraid we're a little busy at the moment"

"Yes, I do apologize for the abruptness of this communication, but I simply must speak to Batman at once." Kathy said.

Alfred and Katana exchanged a glance. "I'm afraid Batman is out at the moment" Katana said. "And if you're going to..."

"I assure you, Miss Yamashiro, this call is not about the performance of my young ward, disappointing though it was" Kathy said.

Katana's jaw dropped. "How did...?"

"How did I find out about you?" Kathy smiled. "The same way I found out about your boss, through the use of a keen eye and intellect and hard investigative work." She laughed at the looks on their faces. "Rich widows like me simply do not twiddle our thumbs all day and night you know, which brings me to the topic at hand..." Kathy cleared her throat, and reached off screen. Alfred and Katana could hear the clicking of keys. Kathy glanced back at them, as if waiting for an answer.

"We're listening" Alfred said finally.

"I understand that you face a particular dilemma in the form of Oswald Cobblepot, AKA the Penguin, and his group of meahuman protectors, the Birds of Prey" Kathy began.

"Yes, a problem that your ward escalated" Katana jabbed

Kathy frowned. "Yes, I heard about Oracle. Regardless of Richard's actions however, his role in this struggle has had its benefits"

"Miss Oracle would probably disagree" Alfred argued.

"Agreed" For a second, Kathy looked hurt, but she quickly regained her composure. "I've been spending the last few hours investigating a curious gas that was brought to me by Richard and Oracle a few hours before the battle at Crane Chemicals" At Kathy's words, Alfred and Katana exchanged a look. "From what I've learned, it appears to be some sort of hallucinogenic gas that forces the victim to visualize their worst fears"

"So it's basically a kind of fear gas?" Metamorpho grunted.

"Basically, yes" Kathy nodded. "the brainchild of the Scarecrow, AKA Professor Johnathan Crane"

"So Crane _is_ the scarecrow" Man-Bat's eyes narrowed. "I knew it!"

Kathy nodded "Yes, and it seems he has managed to make his ideas on fear a reality. I theorize that prolonged exposure to this fear gas will nullify the mental defenses of the victim, in this case, the birds of prey."

"And once their defenses were down, Penguin stepped in to make the necessary changes" Man-Bat added

"So, what exactly are you two saying?" Metamorpho grunted.

"Basically, Scarecrow used the fear gas to break the wills of the Birds of Prey, allowing Penguin to reprogram them any way he wanted. Batman was right, Penguin and Scarecrow brainwashed them" Alfred explained. He looked angry.

Kathy continued. "I've managed to break down the formula for the gas and I've developed a possible counter-agent to it. I theorize that this counter agent may nullify the effects of the fear gas, and undo the brainwashing temporarily."

"So you're basically saying that you can fix this problem?" Metamorpho asked.

Kathy shook her head. "I'm not making any promises, but I think it should work. Of course, its effectiveness may depend on how long and how often the person was exposed to the fear gas. The more times they were exposed, the less likely my antidote may work." She sighed. "If only there was a member of the Birds of Prey we can test it on"

Alfred and Katana exchanged a smile. "In that case, I believe we can help each other." They both stepped back to let Kathy see the unconscious Zatanna, sprawled out on a table.

Kathy's eyes widened "Is that...?"

"One of Penguin's birds of Prey, Zatanna" Katana smirked up at the monitor.

Kathy stared, and then she laughed. "Why am I not surprised? But then again Alfred, the Batman doesn't let just _anyone_ work for him"

"It might make our lives a bit easier if he did" Alfred cracked a smile.

"Did you just tell a joke?" Katana gasped. "Who knew you had a sense of humor?" She smirked.

"I'm still human, I'll have you know" Alfred said to Katana before turning back to the screen. "Now, would you mind sending those formulas?"

"Sending now" Kathy smiled and a minute later the computer beeped. Two lines of text, one red and one green, appeared next to her picture.

"Hmmm" Man-Bat leaned forward, studying the formulas. "Impressive" He said after a minute. "Very impressive. You are quite the chemist, Miss Kane"

"Why, thank you!" Kathy purred, beaming at the mutant. Katana rolled her eyes under her mask.

"Do you think it will work?" Alfred asked Man-Bat

"Hard to say" The mutant replied, studying the formulas again. "But the formula appears to be sound. It should be effective"

"Good enough. Metamorpho?" Alfred turned to the elemental mutant, who was already glancing at the formulas. "Can you generate that?"

"Sure, but which formula am I following?" Metamorpho asked.

"The red one" Kathy said, leaning forward on the screen.

Metamorpho studied the red text, and then turned to face the table where Zatanna way laying. "Stand back" He warned, raising a hand.

Dragon, who has been next to the table, retreated and the others lined up against the counter. Metamorpho frowned in concentration and opened his hand. A red mist erupted from his palm and shot towards the unconscious woman.

* * *

 **And Cut!**

 **It's hard to write action scenes! It took a lot longer than expected to write this chapter, and we aren't even in the final scenes yet! But we're getting close!**

 **So it finally happened, Robin chose his desire for justice/vengeance, over his love for Oracle. Will he be able to redeem himself in Batman's eyes? Will Oracle be rescued, or will she be broken like Dinah was? And how will the fact that Commissioner Gordon knows about his daughter affect the outcome of the final battle?**

 **All this and more is waiting in the next chapter, so stay tuned!**

 **Until Next Time!**


	18. Chapter 18

Tang Ri Shan

 **Red Wings**

 **(This is a sequel to Beware the Batman: Conundrum. I suggest reading that story if you have not done so already** **)**

Chapter 18

"Let me go!" Oracle growled, struggling against her bonds

"In time, my dear" Scarecrow laughed, as he finished strapping the masked teen's arms and legs to a chair. "But first I have some information to retrieve"

"If you think I'm gonna tell you anything, you're even crazier than you look!" Oracle taunted.

"Oh, you don't have to tell me anything," The Scarecrow said as he turned around. He was holding a small gas cannister with a breathing mask attached to it "You can just show me"

"The fear gas" Oracle's eyes widened.

"Correct, my dear" The Scarecrow's face broke in a wide, leering grin. "But this version is extra special and extra powerful." He said as he approached Oracle. "The Birds of Prey had at least two weeks each of exposure to it, but this version can do the job in under two minutes, at least in theory"

"You can't do that!"

"Oh?" Scarecrow slowly tilted his head to one side. "And why not, my dear?"

"Because Penguin's the one calling the shots here, not you!" Oracle bluffed. "And he won't be too happy if he finds out you've been using me as a guinea pig!"

Scarecrow paused for a moment, and Oracle wondered if her threat had worked. Then the man started laughing, a laugh that sent shivers up Oracle's spine. "Oh, such a fiery tongue. I will miss that. But you misunderstand my dear" He suddenly grabbed Oracle's hair and painfully yanked her head back. "Penguin only said to keep you alive" He forced the breathing mask over Oracle's mouth and nose "He never said in what condition"

"MMMMM!" Oracle shook her head, but Scarecrow tightened his grip until Oracle cried out.

"Now my dear, it's time to face your fear" The Scarecrow chuckled, flipping a small lever on the canister. Green mist filled the breathing mask. Oracle tried to hold her breath, but it was no use. "Literally!" Scarecrow chuckled as Oracle's eyes fluttered, and finally closed.

* * *

 **Meanwhile, in the Batcave...**

Zatanna's eyes fluttered open.

"Wh...where am I?" She groaned. All she could see as a big blur.

Dragon, who was standing nearby, turned to look at her. "You are in a safe place, Zatanna," He said softly.

"Zatanna is awake?" Man-Bat called from nearby, causing everyone to look up.

"About time!" Katana smiled, walking over to the table where the magician lay. "How do you feel, Zatanna?"

Zatanna blinked and the world slowly came back into focus, she sat up, rubbing her head. "I feel like I slept in a cement mixer." She said, looking up. "What happened to me?"

"Long story short, you've been used ma'am," Alfred said, walking up next to Katana, his features now covered by a black ski mask. "Do you remember anything that has occurred over the last few weeks?"

Zatanna shook her head. "The last thing I remember was a bunch of people jumping me after one of my performances. They moved so quickly I couldn't do anything before they knocked me out"

"Those people work for a man who calls himself the Penguin" Question spoke up from near the computer. He turned to the computer and typing a few keys. "He abducted you and a handful of other teenagers, and brainwashed you into working for him."

"Yes," Zatanna said as she stood up, leaning on Katana a little. "I remember now" Her voice grew tense. "I was locked in a room, for what felt like days. After a while, I...I began seeing things. I saw my father, and the man I loved. Both of them were yelling at me, telling me what a disappointment I was, a failure."

"'That must have been the fear gas," Katana said, her mouth set in a frown.

"I assure you, Miss Zatanna, those visions you saw were not real, and what you heard couldn't be farther from the truth." Alfred said "I know this for a fact"

"I'll bet you do" Katana jabbed. Alfred shot her a look.

"But, anything after the visions, is a complete blank" Zatanna said, looking a little weary.

"Then allow us to fill in the blanks" The Question typed a command into the Batcomputer. "While you were under the Penguin's thrall, he had you and other teens he abducted perform certain..." The Question paused, "acts around Gotham. I've tapped into security cameras from some of the places he sent you to if you'd like to see for yourself"

"Are you sure that's a good idea, Question?" Alfred snapped. "It might be easier if she doesn't..."

"No" Zatanna cut in, walking towards them. "I want to see it"

"As you wish" The Question pressed a key and a series of video recordings appeared on the screen. One was from a bank, another was from a restaurant, and a third was from what looked like a museum.

"I...I did all _that_?" Zatanna stared wide-eyed at the images on the screen. Images that clearly showed Zatanna using her magic to steal money and valuables, and to intimidate other people and worse, images that showed her actually enjoying it.

"I'm afraid so miss," Alfred said solemnly."We were recently able to reverse the effects of the fear gas, and that seems to have brought you back."

"What we need to know now..." Katana added, turning to face the magician, "Is if you're willing to help us bring the other Birds of Prey back to their senses as well"

Zatanna stared back at the swords-woman and a smile spread over her face. Before she could say anything, however, the roar of an engine caught everyone's attention.

The Batmobile appeared on the road leading out of the cave and came to a stop by the bridge. Batman got out and quickly made his way across to join them.

"Well sir, how was your chat with Commissioner Gordon?" Alfred asked.

"It could have gone better" Batman admitted. He paused when he saw Zatanna standing with them. "Good to see you up and around, Zatanna," He said, "How do you feel?"

"Like showing this 'Penguin' a trick he won't soon forget!" Zatanna said, making her top hat appear out of nowhere and placing it on her head.

"How did she do that?" Metamorpho asked. The Question just shrugged his shoulders.

"So, how do we take this guy down?" Zatanna asked, smiling at their confusion.

" _We_ don't" Batman replied, narrowing his eyes at her.

Zatanna scowled, crossing her arms. "Oh come on, there is no way I'm sitting this out!"

"This is our fight, not yours" Batman replied.

"Yeah, but it's _my_ life this Penguin guy's ruining," Zatanna argued. "When word of this gets out, my career as a performer will be over!" Zatanna motioned to the computer screens, that were still playing the images.

"It's not going to get out," Batman said.

"What?" Zatanna blinked.

"I've managed to keep Commissioner Gordon from releasing this footage. And the witnesses are all too terrified to testify." Batman explained, making the images on the screen fade away. "It'll be your word against theirs, and I'm sure we can find people who would be willing to testify in your support."

Zatanna raised an eyebrow then she smiled. "Thank you Batman, but I still want to help take this Penguin down, even if its not directly."

Batman scowled at the magician for a second, then turned away. "I'll consider it. But now we need to find a way to free the other birds, Computer, bring up surveillance inside the Iceberg Lounge."

 _"I'm afraid I am unable to do so Batman."_ The computer replied. _"The internet access in and around the Iceberg Lounge is protected by a firewall that I have so far been unable to crack"_

"And our own resident hacker is currently in Penguin's custody. Not good" Alfred shook his head.

"What's the big deal? We know where everyone is, let's just go get them!" Metamorpho slammed his fists together.

"But we don't know what we're up against" Man-Bat argued. "We'd be going in blind"

"Not only that, I suspect this is what the Penguin will expect us to do." Question said.

"But what other choice do we have?" Katana countered. "Every moment we delay heightens the danger that Oracle and the others are in."

"Wow, that is quite the conundrum, isn't it?" Zatanna spoke up, and the smug tone of her voice made everyone look at her.

The magician's face was sporting an evil grin. "Gee, it's too bad you don't have someone who could work from inside the Iceberg lounge. Someone who knows the lay of the land and can help you find where the soft spots are" She continued, looking at Batman.

"What makes you think the Penguin will welcome you back into his ranks?" Katana argued. "He left you behind without a second thought at the warehouse!"

Zatanna turned to the swords-woman, her grin unchanging. "Because in addition to being a magician, I also happen to be quite a good actress. If I can convince Penguin that I'm still under the control of the fear gas, I'll be welcomed back with open arms"

"It was Scarecrow who developed the fear gas, if you recall" Man-Bat warned. "You will need to fool the both of them"

Zatanna snorted "Part of a magician's performance is all about the presentation. Trust me, I can fool these jokers, no problem"

"Fine, Zatanna will be our inside person. Zatanna, I'll need you to somehow hook up the batcomputer to the security system inside the Iceberg lounge." Batman said.

Zatanna's smile faded. "Uh, sure, but I'm not really much of a technical person" she confessed "If it doesn't involve magic, I haven't had much practice in it."

Batman frowned for a moment. "Then we'll just have to work around that."

"You sound like you already have some kind of plan worked out" Alfred motioned.

Batman nodded "The plan is simple. Dragon, Question, Katana, and I will infiltrate the Iceberg lounge, keeping a low profile. Once Zatanna is able to deactivate the security system, Alfred, Man-Bat, and Metamorpho will create a diversion to draw the Penguin's attention, while those of us on the inside find and liberate both Oracle and the Birds. Once they're free, we can subdue Scarecrow and the Penguin."

"Cool" Zatanna said. "Only how are you going to get in? It's not like the Penguin's going to invite you inside?"

"Actually, he already has" Batman replied.

Everyone looked at him. "Come again?" Katana raised an eyebrow under her mask.

In response, Batman pulled up an image on the Batcomputer. It showed what looked like an invitation.

"You are cordially invited, along with one guest, to the grand opening of the Iceberg Lounge tonight in downtown Gotham" Alfred read aloud.

"Oh yeah, the grand opening ceremony!" Zatanna smiled. "Penguin's been hyping about that for weeks"

"Many of the wealthiest people in the city have been invited, and there will be lots of press and paparazzi there. Those of us without invitations can slip in with the crowds" Batman explained.

"Hiding in plain sight." Dragon nodded. "A wise move"

"Penguin will be too busy with the festivities to notice us" Batman said, picking up a small device and handing it to Zatanna. "Plug this into the Penguin's computers, the virus inside will interface with his systems and should grant us full access to his mainframe."

"Right" Zatanna nodded. "I'd better get back the lounge. Can I get a lift from someone?"

"Man-Bat will take you"

"He will?"

"I will?" Both Zatanna and Man-Bat looked confused.

"If Zatanna's going to fool the Penguin into thinking she's still with him, this will help keep up appearances. From a distance, Man-bat's silhouette is similar to mine, so the Penguin will think she escaped from me" Batman said.

"I see" Man-Bat said slowly. "Very clever"

"Almost devious" Zatanna smiled.

Batman ignored the jab. "We only have a few hours until the grand opening. "Let's get to work!" With that, the Outsiders scattered. Question and Katana headed towards the elevator, Zatanna flew off in the claws of Man-Bat, while Alfred and Metamorpho began discussing together.

"So, who is going to be the guest who accompanies you?" Dragon asked Batman.

"Actually, I was hoping that you would fill that role" Batman said.

"Me?" Dragon's eyes widened then he nodded. "I would be honored."

Batman grinned. "I was hoping you would say that. Now, let's see about finding you something to wear"

* * *

 **Meanwhile:**

Oracle's eyes fluttered as she slowly regained consciousness.

"What...what happened?" She groaned as she rose to her knees and looked around.

"Barbara?" Oracle froze as she heard a familiar voice.

"Who...who's there?" Oracle called out.

"Barbara?" The voice came again, and Oracle felt the hairs on the back of her neck stand up. _That sounded like..._

Oracle jumped as she she saw movement in front of her. An attractive woman with blonde hair and piercing green eyes stepped out of the shadows.

Oracle felt her jaw drop. "M-mom?" She gasped.

"Hello Barbara" the woman smiled sweetly at her. "I've missed you"

"How...? How is this possible?" Oracle stared wide eyed as her dead mother came to stand in front of her. "You...you're dead!"

"Reports of my demise, were greatly exaggerated" Her mother smiled and knelt down to brush back a lock of Barbara's hair, just like she did when Barbara was younger.

"I can't believe it's really you" Oracle smiled up at her mother. "When dad hears about this he'll..." Oracle paused when she saw her mother's smile fade.

"Yeah, about that sweetie." Her mother looked uncomfortable. "There's something you should know"

"What?"

"I'm...I'm not going back to your father" Her mother said finally.

"You're not?" Oracle blinked. "Why?"

"Don't misunderstand Barbara, Jim was a wonderful man, but it just...wasn't meant to be" Oracle's mother smiled at her. "I left Jim to find my soul mate and now I've finally found him."

"Okay" Oracle felt stunned, that her mother would just up and leave like that, but still, her mother seemed happy and she felt good about that. "Well, who is he? Do I know him?"

"I should think so, sweet pea" Oracle's blood ran cold as another voice seeped from the darkness and another familiar figure emerged from the shadows. This one was tall and muscular, with scaly skin and a mouth full of sharp teeth.

Oracle gasped. "Killer Croc! What are you doing here?"

"Just sayin' hello" Croc said, placing a hand on Miss Gordon's shoulder.

"Let go of her, you creep!" Oracle yelled.

Croc's toothy grin widened. "Is that any way to talk to yer new daddy?" He growled.

Oracle felt her insides turn to ice. " _WHAT_?" She exclaimed.

"Croc and I are engaged" Oracle watched, horrified as her mother held up a hand. A ruby-red ring lay around her finger. "Isn't it exciting?"

"Wh-why on earth would you agree to marry someone like him?" Oracle gasped

"Oh, you'll find I can be very persuasive" Croc said, his face sporting an evil grin.

"I don't believe you!" Oracle shouted defiantly. "When my father hears about this, he'll...!"

"He already has" Croc's next remark stopped Oracle mid-sentence. "And he's agreed to let it happen"

"He has?" Oracle couldn't believe her ears. "Just like that?"

"Well, Ah wouldn't say that" Croc said, kneeling until he was eye level with Oracle. "Ya see, when yer daddy found out about our...relationship, he didn't take it too well at first. He was like you, stubborn and headstrong, but after I had a little chat with him, he seemed to see things my way"

"He did?" Oracle's voice choked "Where is he?"

Croc tutted sadly and shook his head. "Well...after we came to an understanding, I couldn't help noticing how stressed out yer daddy looked. Playing policeman, it just ain't healthy for a man o' his years, so ah sent him on a little...trip"

As Croc said that, a light suddenly snapped on behind him and he turned. Oracle craned her neck to see what was happening and gasped in horror as she saw a long white box lying on a table, it was a coffin.

"No! NO!" Oracle screamed as Croc turned back to her. "You...you murderer!" Oracle slapped Killer crock.

Croc's smile faded and he grabbed Oracle's wrist. "Let's you and me get one thing straight sweet pea, you belong to me now, and I won't take no disrespect from you. Ah'm yer daddy now, accept it"

"NEVER!" Oracle screamed, tears now flooding freely down her face. "You'll never take the place of my father! you hear me? NEVER!"

"Now now Barbara, be nice to Croc!" Oracle's mother spoke up, taking Croc's hand in her own. But Oracle was shocked to notice that her mother's own hand was covered in scales just like Croc's. "After all, he's a member of the family now" Oracle watched in horror as her mother's skin suddenly became scaly, her eyes became reptilian and her hair suddenly became disheveled.

"This has gotta be a dream" Oracle said as she watched her mother, now a female version of killer Croc, grinned at her, revealing a mouth of sharp teeth. "This can't be real!"

"Oh this is very real" Killer Crock chuckled

"No, I won't accept it! I refuse to accept it!" Oracle snapped, drawing hope from deep inside of her. "He'll stop you. He'll find me and he'll take you down!"

"He?" Oracle's mother tilted her head. "Which 'He' are you referring to? You boss perhaps? or maybe your boyfriend?"

Oracle didn't answer. It was all she could do to keep her face expressionless.

"If you're thinking of Batman, don't bother." Oracle's mother smiled wickedly. "I've personally made sure that he and the other Outsiders are in no position to fight us. It was simple really, a whisper here, a whisper there, and they all fell like dominoes. They were never an actual team, you know."

"As fer yer boyfriend, you can do much better than a circus freak" Croc growled. "Ah know a snake man down south who'd be perfect for yah"

"You wouldn't dare!" Oracle hissed.

"It's for the best sweetie" Her 'mother' said, her yellow eyes blinking slowly. "I don't think this 'Richard' really cares for you anyway"

"You don't know Richard!" Oracle yelled, but there was desperation and doubt in her voice.

"No, but does he know you, sweetie?" Mom Croc hissed, a forked tongue flickered out from between her sharp teeth. "Does he know that you're one of us now?" She reached out, grabbed Oracle's wrist and held it up for her to see. Oracle cried out in horror when she saw that her own skin was scaly as well.

"No, no, NO!" Oracle gasped, clawing at her skin. "This is not happening!" She cried out, but the scales on her skin felt so real. Oracle ran her tongue around her mouth and felt that her teeth had sharpened into points.

"Oh it's happenin' sweet pea" Croc smiled down at her "And there ain't nuthin' ya can do ta stop it. Welcome to the Croc family" With that, he leaned down and kissed Oracle's mother on the lips, a kiss that Oracle's mother returned with relish.

"No!" Oracle felt her mind clouding over, she felt like she was falling. "NOOOOOO!" She screamed.

* * *

 **A Few Hours Later:**

A few hours later, Bruce and Richard Dragon were seated in a limousine winding its way through the traffic towards downtown Gotham.

Dragon grunted as he adjusted the sleeve of his suit-coat.

"Problem, Sensei?" Bruce spoke from the seat next to him.

"I confess, I am not used to wearing such garments," Dragon said, looking sheepishly at Bruce.

"It does take some getting used to" Bruce smiled as he leaned back in his seat.

After a few minutes, he glanced back up to see Dragon staring at him with a peculiar look on his face.

"What? Is there something on my face?" Batman ran a hand over his face. He didn't feel anything.

Dragon smiled and shook his head. "No Bruce, you are fine. It is just...I do not believe I have ever seen you smile like that before. When you studied with me, you were always so...serious."

Bruce chuckled. "I know. It's a recent development."

"One that I believe you should keep," Dragon said, and Bruce could hear the sincerity in his voice.

"If you say so, sensei" Bruce replied

The glass petition behind Dragon suddenly lowered, revealing Alfred in the drier's seat. "Sir, we've arrived," He said.

Bruce nodded to Alfred. Both men leaned over and peered out the window as the limo approached a line of waving floodlights.

From the outside, the Iceberg lounge looked average, a slate gray building that stood four stories tall, dwarfed by the skyscrapers that towered on either side of it, yet there was something about the building that seemed to draw attention away from the others. Maybe it was the polar mural painted on the wall behind the illuminated sign, or the ice-blue light that spilled out of the front doors, bathing the street in white, Bruce wasn't sure.

Alfred brought the limo to a stop in front of the building, where a deep blue carpet spilled out the door to the street. The crowd of paparazzi and reporters instantly started yelling, and cameras began flashing as Alfred got out and handed Bruce's invitation to a large man wearing dark glasses and an even darker suit. The man spoke into an earpiece for a moment, then handed the invitation back and nodded.

"Showtime," Bruce said as Alfred strode to the passenger door of the limo. He turned to Dragon "Shall we?"

Dragon nodded. "After you," He said.

Alfred opened the door and Bruce stepped out of the limo. As he did, the voices of the reporters suddenly seemed to triple in volume and the flashing from the cameras became almost blinding.

Ignoring the questions of the reporters, Bruce stepped aside as Dragon emerged from the car. The martial artist winced slightly as he faced the lights but quickly recovered.

"Good luck" Bruce heard Alfred say

"You too" He replied before nodding at Dragon. The two men strolled up the blue carpet towards the doors.

"Mr. Wayne!" Bruce paused as a familiar voice reached his ears. A reporter with red hair was leaning over the blue velvet ropes, a pen, and notepad in hand. Next to him, an attractive woman in black pants and a white sweater was fiddling with her camera. "Mr. Wayne, what brings you to the opening of the Iceberg Lounge?" The man asked. "I'm told you don't usually make public appearances"

Bruce smiled at Tatsu, who winked back at him as she raised the camera and snapped several photos. Turning to the reporter, aka a disguised Question, he said. "It's true I usually try to stay out of the public eye, but tonight is an exception. Oswald Cobblepot and I are old friends, and he has been bragging to me about this place for years, so I decided to come and see if his dreams would finally...'take wing' tonight."

The crowd of reporters laughed at Bruce's joke like it was the funniest thing in the world. Bruce saw Dragon roll his eyes as he turned away from the reporter and he chuckled.

Bruce presented their invitation to the hostess, along with his business card. A group of waitresses hovered nearby, all wearing black bowler hats, black bow-ties around their necks, low-cut black leotards, black stockings, and shiny heels. Bruce recognized Zatanna among them.

The hostess, an attractive woman wearing a form-fitting black dress, raised her eyebrows when she saw the card, then looked up at him. "Welcome, Mr. Wayne." She said, smiling up at him. "Mr. Cobblepot was hoping you would honor us with your attendance today."

"The honor is mine" Bruce smiled as Zatanna looked up upon hearing Bruce's name. Upon seeing him, Zatanna smiled happily, then her gaze fell on Dragon, standing next to him and she raised an eyebrow. Dragon smiled and gave a subtle nod to her and Zatanna's gaze flickered back to Bruce. Her mouth dropped into an O of astonishment."

The hostess didn't notice any of this, she was deftly fishing two menus out of the tray next to her podium. "Welcome to the Iceberg Lounge Mr. Wayne. Tara will show you to your seat"

Quickly regaining her composure, Zatanna strode up to the podium and took the two menus from the hostess. "Right this way, please," She purred, winking at Bruce before leading the two men into the restaurant.

Upon entering the main area, both men stopped and stared, awestruck at the spectacle before them.

The main area of the Iceberg Lounge was just as its name implied. From the door, a set of stairs led down to the glimmering dining floor, which was filled with tables and crowded with people. Below that was the dancing floor, on which many couples were already dancing to the music of the live band. In the middle of the dance floor was a large pool on which a giant, multi-tiered iceberg appeared to be floating, ringed by several smaller ones. The ceiling was painted to match the night sky and crystal chandeliers hung down from the ceiling like icicles.

Bruce and Dragon blinked as the pool water suddenly erupted as a large leopard seal leapt out of the water. Similar creatures were resting on the smaller icebergs and their barking echoed throughout the room, almost in time with the music of the band.

"Impressive" Dragon commented. "Mr. Cobblepot does not do things small, does he?"

"I knew this place was his dream, but I never imagined his dreams were this vivid". Bruce commented. The icebergs looked so realistic that he felt a subconscious urge to shiver.

"Ahem, gentlemen?" Zatanna cleared her throat to get their attention. She had a smile on her face, clearly enjoying the men's reactions to the decor. "Right this way" She started walking down the stairs. The two men glanced at each other and followed.

"No problems, I take it," Bruce said in a low voice.

"Worked like a charm" Zatanna replied in a similar tone. "Scarecrow wasn't convinced, but Penguin was ecstatic to have me back."

"Good, any luck finding Oracle?" Bruce asked.

Zatanna kept her smile but shook her head. "None I'm afraid. I uploaded the drive like you said, but I don't think it worked."

Bruce frowned for a moment "Do you still have the drive with you?"

Zatanna nodded

"Good, Penguin's firewalls are probably preventing the virus from sending the data to my system," Bruce said. "I programmed the drive to search the penguin's computer and copy any and all data regarding Oracle and the birds into itself. We can use the phone signals to send the data we need to the others"

Zatanna's smile widened. "You like to be prepared, don't you?"

"I find it helps to cover all my bases," Bruce said. "We're still going to need someone to take down surveillance before we can attack, however"

"I'll try, but I'm not sure if I'll be able to get near the security room again without blowing my cover, we're pretty busy tonight" Zatanna's gaze swept over the crowded room.

"I can see that" Bruce commented as they reached the dining level. Nearly every table in the room was occupied.

"Mr. Cobblepot has arranged a special table for you and his other special guests, Mr. Wayne," Zatanna said professionally as they came within earshot of the other waitresses. "Only the best for his friends after all" She added, winking at Bruce.

"Remind me to thank him for that" Bruce nodded at her, but his eyes were subtly sweeping the room. He spotted the other four female birds waiting tables. Condor was standing near the stairs and Hawk was positioned near the giant iceberg on which the live band was playing.

"Of course, Mr. Wayne," Zatanna said, her voice dropping in a seductive kind of way "When would you like me to remind you?" She shifted the menus to one hand so she could adjust the top on her leotard with her other hand.

Bruce raised an eyebrow and Zatanna giggled. "Sorry, I couldn't help it," She said quietly.

Bruce waited until another group had passed before replying. "Focus Zatanna" He heard Dragon snort behind him.

Zatanna rolled her eyes. "I'm just making up for...lost time," She said, fluttering her lashes at Bruce.

"I imagine it is hard to watch where one is going if one is always looking over their shoulder" Dragon spoke up.

Bruce looked at Zatanna. "Dragon's right, focus on your job, they'll be time to talk later"

Zatanna gave a small sigh but didn't argue. "Here is your table, sir," She said as they approached a table at the very edge of the dining area, next to the pool. "As you can see, Mr. Cobblepot's other guests have already arrived"

Bruce looked up and saw Kathy Kane sitting there, wearing a sleeveless white dress and matching opera gloves. Her red hair was styled so that it framed her face. She was sipping a glass of champagne and gazing up at the live band. Sitting next to her was Richard, wearing a black silk shirt and trousers. He was gazing at a pair of seals lounging on an 'iceberg' near them. From the way the seals were acting, Bruce suspected they were a pair. Richard was watching them with a sad expression on his face.

Kathy looked up as the trio approached and her lips widened into a smile as she saw who it was. "Bruce, darling!" She said, rising to her feet and strutting over to them. "I thought I might see you here!"

"Hello Kathy" Bruce smiled as he kissed Kathy's hand. In the corner of his eye, he saw Zatanna give a little frown and his smile widened a little.

"And Sensei Richard Dragon?" Kathy gasped as she turned to Dragon. "I confess I had not expected to see _you_ here! I did not think that events such as this were your thing!"

Dragon smiled as he kissed Kathy's hand. "You are correct, Miss Kane. While I am generally not interested in such affairs, when Bruce invited me along as his guest, I did not have the heart to refuse him"

"Sensei?" Richard's voice cut through Kathy's laughter. The young man had finally dragged his eyes away from the pool. He leaped from his chair and darted around the table.

"Namaste Richard" Dragon and Richard bowed to each other. "How are you faring?"

Richard's face fell. "Not too well," He said glumly.

"Now Richard, we will not have that face here!" Kathy said as the foursome took their seats. "This is a happy time!"

"Not for everyone," Richard said, slumping in his chair. Zatanna handed them each a menu. She nodded to Bruce as she gave him his. They ordered drinks and Zatanna strode away into the crowd.

Dragon exchanged a glance with Bruce, then leaned over and whispered to Richard. "If you are referring to Oracle, do not worry, a rescue is being attempted even as we speak."

Richard glanced up at Dragon. "Really? He whispered back. "Can I help?"

"Perhaps," said Dragon. "We will have to wait and see" He patted Richard on the shoulder and, by so doing, masked Bruce's action of passing the flash drive that he had found in his menu to Kathy, who smoothly tucked the drive into one of her gloves. The two exchanged a glance and nodded to each other.

"Please excuse me everyone, but I must step into the powder room for a moment," Kathy said, rising to her feet.

"Take your time, we won't start without you," Bruce said.

"Oh you are too kind" Kathy pecked Bruce on the cheek. "Twa La" She said and trotted away.

Bruce and Dragon watched Kathy move through the crowd, then exchanged a look. Dragon nodded and Bruce felt his smile fade a little. _Hang on Oracle!_ He thought. _Help is on the way!_

* * *

 **And Cut!**

 **I apologize. I had meant to get this chapter up sooner, but my computer keeps freezing on me. Ain't technology great?**

 **For those of you who are wondering about Oracle's nightmare, there is an episode of BTB where Killer Croc is chasing Oracle through a subway station and when he corners her, he jokes that she 'would taste like chicken'. I imagine this scene, and the events surrounding it, would cause Oracle to develop a subconscious fear of Killer Croc. No one emerges from that kind of ordeal unscathed. Also, combined with the fact that Barbara misses her mother, I felt would make an interesting nightmare scene.**

 **I know there are many versions of the Iceberg lounge out there, but mine is based heavily on the BTAS version (specifically on the Batwoman movie, which I would highly recommend to any DC fan).**

 **Also, I would like to apologize if my scene with Zatanna 'teasing' Bruce offends anyone, but I've always seen BTB as a bit more 'adult-friendly' than BTAS, so I wanted this story to somewhat reflect that.**

 **As always, Read and Review! We are nearing the end, so bear with me!**

 **Until Next Time!**


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